All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (October 5, 2022)
THE BLESSING OF THE LIGHT
A lamp or candle may be lit. The Lord is my light and my salvation:
my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever.
Other candles may be lit as the following is sung.
Open this link in a new tab to hear William George Storey’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine.”
1 O radiant light, O sun divine,
Of God the Father's deathless face,
O image of the light sublime
That fills the heav'nly dwelling place.
2 O Son of God, the source of life,
Praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteem'd and splendid name.
3 Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
As shine the lights of eventide,
We praise the Father with the Son,
The Spirit blest and with them one.
As Psalm 141 — A Song of the Evening Sacrifice, is sung, incense may be burned.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Peter Inwood’s setting of Psalm 141, “O Lord, Let My Prayer Rise Before You Like Incense.”
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
1. Lord, I am calling:
hasten to help me.
Listen to me as I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
2. Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No, I will never taste their delights.
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
3. The good may reprove me,
in kindness chastise me,
but the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Ev’ry day I counter their malice with prayer.
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
4 To you, Lord, my God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge;
do not forsake me.
Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do evil.
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
5 Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all praise to the life-giving Spirit.
As it was, is now and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you as incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
This opening prayer is said
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALMODY
Open this link in a new tab to hear Karin Young Wimberly’s metrical version of Psalm 23, “The Lord’s My Shepherd I’ll Not Want.”
The Lord’s my shepherd I’ll not want
He lets me rest in pastures green
He leadeth me by waters still
He restores my soul; restores my soul
Even though I walk through the darkest vale
I will fear no evil, for you’re with me
Your rod and staff, protect and guide
You comfort me; you comfort me
The Lord’s my shepherd I’ll not want
He lets me rest in pastures green
He leadeth me by waters still
He restores my soul; restores my soul
Even though I walk through the darkest vale
I will fear no evil, for you’re with me
Your rod and staff, protect and guide
You comfort me; you comfort me
[Instrumenta interlude]
You prepare a table, a feast for me
In the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with holy oil
My cup overflows; it overflows
Surely goodness and God’s mercy great
Shall follow me all my days of life
And I’ll dwell within the house of God
My whole life long; my whole life long
He lets me rest in pastures green
He leadeth me by waters still
He restores my soul; restores my soul
Even though I walk through the darkest vale
I will fear no evil, for you’re with me
Your rod and staff, protect and guide
You comfort me; you comfort me
[Instrumenta interlude]
You prepare a table, a feast for me
In the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with holy oil
My cup overflows; it overflows
Surely goodness and God’s mercy great
Shall follow me all my days of life
And I’ll dwell within the house of God
My whole life long; my whole life long
Surely goodness and God’s mercy great
Shall follow me all my days of life
And I’ll dwell within the house of God
My whole life long; my whole life long
Silence is kept.
O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.
Amen.
EVENING HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ian Callanan’s “Before We End Our Day, O Lord”
Before we end our day, O Lord,
We make this prayer to you:
That you continue in your love
To guard your people here.
Give us this night untroubled rest
And build our strength anew:
Your Splendour driving far away
All darkness of the foe.
Our heart’s desire to love you, Lord
Watch over while we sleep
That when the new day dawns on high
We may your praises sing.
All glory be to you, O Christ,
Who saved us all from death
To share with you the Author’s love
And in the Spirit live.
Silence is kept.
SCRIPTURE READING
2 Timothy 1: 15-18 Paul remembers Onesiphorus' kindness to him
As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes.
May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ’s return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
I selected this evening's reading, 2 Timothy 1: 15-18, from the supplemental readings from this past Sunday from the lectionary in A Prayer Book for Australia, which is the lectionary from which I usually take the reading for a particular service. It must have been a misprint because the text listed in the lectionary was 2 Timothy 1: 15-27. However, the first chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy ends at verse 18.
Shall follow me all my days of life
And I’ll dwell within the house of God
My whole life long; my whole life long
Silence is kept.
O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.
Amen.
EVENING HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ian Callanan’s “Before We End Our Day, O Lord”
Before we end our day, O Lord,
We make this prayer to you:
That you continue in your love
To guard your people here.
Give us this night untroubled rest
And build our strength anew:
Your Splendour driving far away
All darkness of the foe.
Our heart’s desire to love you, Lord
Watch over while we sleep
That when the new day dawns on high
We may your praises sing.
All glory be to you, O Christ,
Who saved us all from death
To share with you the Author’s love
And in the Spirit live.
Silence is kept.
SCRIPTURE READING
2 Timothy 1: 15-18 Paul remembers Onesiphorus' kindness to him
As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes.
May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ’s return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
Three Examples - One Not to Follow and Two to Follow
I selected this evening's reading, 2 Timothy 1: 15-18, from the supplemental readings from this past Sunday from the lectionary in A Prayer Book for Australia, which is the lectionary from which I usually take the reading for a particular service. It must have been a misprint because the text listed in the lectionary was 2 Timothy 1: 15-27. However, the first chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy ends at verse 18.
I pondered this brief passage on my morning walk, thinking carefully about what we might learn from it. I concluded that we could learn from three examples found in the passage.
The first example is one that we do not want to follow. It is that of Phygelus and Hermogenes and whoever else had been with Paul from the province of Asia. When he got into difficulties, they deserted him. They were fair-weather friends. They were a good friend to Paul when it was easy to be one. They stopped being one when the going got tough. They abandoned him.
Perhaps we should not be too hard on them. We don’t know the circumstances that faced them. At the same time their example is not one that we want to emulate when a fellow Christian or someone else gets into any kind of difficulty. Deserting someone especially at the first hint of trouble is not loving one another as Jesus commands us to do nor is it loving our neighbor as ourselves. It is also not bearing each other’s burdens.
The second example is one that we do want to follow. Despite the difficult situation Paul is in, he feels and expresses concern for Onesiphorus’ wellbeing. He does not let his circumstances keep him from experiencing concern for others. He is not so preoccupied with thoughts about his own wellbeing, so wrapped up in himself, that he cannot give thought to the wellbeing of others.
The third example is also one that we want to follow. It’s Onesiphorus’s example. We do not know what brought him to Rome. He may have been seeking Paul. But when he arrives in Rome, he searches diligently until he finds Paul and when he finds Paul, he often visits him and encourages him. Finding Paul in Rome would not have been easy. The example Onesiphorus sets for us is the example of someone who goes to a great deal of trouble to provide encouragement to someone who is much in need of it. Encouraging others is one of the ways that we show love for them as a Christian, as a disciple of Jesus.
We may sometimes discover that the person to whom we are offering encouragement may dismiss or reject our encouragement, but we should not let this discourage us from offering them encouragement. They may a such a negative self-image of themselves that they are unable to accept words of encouragement.
They may also prefer to hear words of encouragement from someone else besides us. This is one of the ways that people keep themselves enclosed in a negative bubble. They set their hearts on hearing compliments, encouragement, and praise from someone who is not going to give them compliments, encouragement, or praise. As a consequence, they are always suffering disappointment and in this way keep themselves in a state of unhappiness. In the same way they reinforce their negative opinion of themselves and others.
A part of them wants to hear kind words from others and that part of them may eventually hear us. On our part we keep offering them encouragement.
Being encouraging to others, even going out of the way to do so, is not the only example Onesiphorus set. He was helpful. He was willing to help others and made himself useful when help was needed. He appears to have been someone who gave thought to the needs of others.
John Wesley laid down three general rules by which members of the early Methodist societies in following were to evidence their desire of salvation. Now Wesley believed that we are saved by grace also through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by our good works. At the same time, he recognized that a lively faith was manifest by good works, just as a tree is known by its fruit. He provided the general rules for the guidance of the early Methodists.
The second rule was to do good by showing mercy to others in every way that they were able, whenever they had an opportunity, by doing every possible sort of good, and as far as possible, to all people. The example Onesiphorus sets—of offering encouragement, of being helpful, is also a good example of what Wesley had in mind.
In addition to the three examples—one not to follow and two to follow, this brief passage has a fourth lesson for us. Even short passages of Scripture have much we can learn from them. Some seemingly unlikely passages of Scripture contain valuable truths and principles by which we can live our lives; others provide insights into the character of God and human nature. When we read Scripture with an open heart and an open mind, we are likely to come away with something of value.
Hearing, reading, and meditating upon Scripture are a means of grace. They are a way that God offers friendship and help to us and shows us kindness. They are a way God influences us for the better.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s “Luke 1: My Soul Rejoices.”
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
My soul proclaims your mighty deeds.
My spirit sings the greatness of your name.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
Your mercy flows throughout the land
and ev’ry generation knows your love.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
You cast the mighty from their thrones
and raise the poor and lowly to new life.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
You fill the hungry with good things.
With empty hands you send the rich away.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
Just as you promised Abraham,
You come to free your people, Israel.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
PRAYERS
(Let us offer our prayers to the source of all love and all life, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)
Merciful Lord, we pray for all who call themselves Christians: that we may be faithful disciples of your Son Jesus Christ.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for N our pastor, for all pastors, and for all who serve Christ in his Church: that they may remain faithful to their calling and rightly proclaim the word of truth. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the leaders of the nations, and all in authority: that your people may lead quiet and peaceable lives.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our community and those who live here, the poor and the rich, the elderly and the young, men and women: that you will show your favor and goodwill to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in any kind of trouble or need that you will deliver them from their distress.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for _______________________.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all the saints who have found favor in your sight from earliest times, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and those whose names are known to you alone: and we pray that we too may be counted among your faithful witnesses.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, you have built your Church
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Join us together in unity of spirit by their teaching,
that we may become a holy temple,
acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
As our Savior taught his disciples,
we pray:
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.
CLOSING SONG
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Blackwell’s “A Scottish Blessing.”
Be our light before to lead me;
Be a guiding star above;
Jesu, may I always know thee,
may I always know thy love.
Be our light before to lead me;
Be a guiding star above;
Jesu, may I always know thee,
may I always know thy love.
There is no bird that soars the mountain,
there is no deer upon the hill,
there is no creature of the forest,
but shall sing thy praises, praises still.
Be a kindly shepherd for me,
Keep me safe thru’ all my days;
Jesus, may I always know thee,
May I always sing thy praise.
There is no life that swims the ocean;
there is no creature of sea;
there is no fish within the river,
but proclaims its praise for, for thee.
As the day falls into evening,
as the night is lit with stars,
at the ending of life’s journey
may thy heavenly peace be ours.
Let ev’ry creature in God’s kingdom,
Let ev’ry life upon the shore
Sing praise to God, the world’s creator,
Sing praises now and ever, evermore.
Sing praises now and evermore.
THE CONCLUSION
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.
Amen.
The first example is one that we do not want to follow. It is that of Phygelus and Hermogenes and whoever else had been with Paul from the province of Asia. When he got into difficulties, they deserted him. They were fair-weather friends. They were a good friend to Paul when it was easy to be one. They stopped being one when the going got tough. They abandoned him.
Perhaps we should not be too hard on them. We don’t know the circumstances that faced them. At the same time their example is not one that we want to emulate when a fellow Christian or someone else gets into any kind of difficulty. Deserting someone especially at the first hint of trouble is not loving one another as Jesus commands us to do nor is it loving our neighbor as ourselves. It is also not bearing each other’s burdens.
The second example is one that we do want to follow. Despite the difficult situation Paul is in, he feels and expresses concern for Onesiphorus’ wellbeing. He does not let his circumstances keep him from experiencing concern for others. He is not so preoccupied with thoughts about his own wellbeing, so wrapped up in himself, that he cannot give thought to the wellbeing of others.
The third example is also one that we want to follow. It’s Onesiphorus’s example. We do not know what brought him to Rome. He may have been seeking Paul. But when he arrives in Rome, he searches diligently until he finds Paul and when he finds Paul, he often visits him and encourages him. Finding Paul in Rome would not have been easy. The example Onesiphorus sets for us is the example of someone who goes to a great deal of trouble to provide encouragement to someone who is much in need of it. Encouraging others is one of the ways that we show love for them as a Christian, as a disciple of Jesus.
We may sometimes discover that the person to whom we are offering encouragement may dismiss or reject our encouragement, but we should not let this discourage us from offering them encouragement. They may a such a negative self-image of themselves that they are unable to accept words of encouragement.
They may also prefer to hear words of encouragement from someone else besides us. This is one of the ways that people keep themselves enclosed in a negative bubble. They set their hearts on hearing compliments, encouragement, and praise from someone who is not going to give them compliments, encouragement, or praise. As a consequence, they are always suffering disappointment and in this way keep themselves in a state of unhappiness. In the same way they reinforce their negative opinion of themselves and others.
A part of them wants to hear kind words from others and that part of them may eventually hear us. On our part we keep offering them encouragement.
Being encouraging to others, even going out of the way to do so, is not the only example Onesiphorus set. He was helpful. He was willing to help others and made himself useful when help was needed. He appears to have been someone who gave thought to the needs of others.
John Wesley laid down three general rules by which members of the early Methodist societies in following were to evidence their desire of salvation. Now Wesley believed that we are saved by grace also through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by our good works. At the same time, he recognized that a lively faith was manifest by good works, just as a tree is known by its fruit. He provided the general rules for the guidance of the early Methodists.
The second rule was to do good by showing mercy to others in every way that they were able, whenever they had an opportunity, by doing every possible sort of good, and as far as possible, to all people. The example Onesiphorus sets—of offering encouragement, of being helpful, is also a good example of what Wesley had in mind.
In addition to the three examples—one not to follow and two to follow, this brief passage has a fourth lesson for us. Even short passages of Scripture have much we can learn from them. Some seemingly unlikely passages of Scripture contain valuable truths and principles by which we can live our lives; others provide insights into the character of God and human nature. When we read Scripture with an open heart and an open mind, we are likely to come away with something of value.
Hearing, reading, and meditating upon Scripture are a means of grace. They are a way that God offers friendship and help to us and shows us kindness. They are a way God influences us for the better.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s “Luke 1: My Soul Rejoices.”
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
My soul proclaims your mighty deeds.
My spirit sings the greatness of your name.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
Your mercy flows throughout the land
and ev’ry generation knows your love.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
You cast the mighty from their thrones
and raise the poor and lowly to new life.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
You fill the hungry with good things.
With empty hands you send the rich away.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
Just as you promised Abraham,
You come to free your people, Israel.
My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.
PRAYERS
(Let us offer our prayers to the source of all love and all life, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)
Merciful Lord, we pray for all who call themselves Christians: that we may be faithful disciples of your Son Jesus Christ.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for N our pastor, for all pastors, and for all who serve Christ in his Church: that they may remain faithful to their calling and rightly proclaim the word of truth. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the leaders of the nations, and all in authority: that your people may lead quiet and peaceable lives.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our community and those who live here, the poor and the rich, the elderly and the young, men and women: that you will show your favor and goodwill to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in any kind of trouble or need that you will deliver them from their distress.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for _______________________.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all the saints who have found favor in your sight from earliest times, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and those whose names are known to you alone: and we pray that we too may be counted among your faithful witnesses.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, you have built your Church
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Join us together in unity of spirit by their teaching,
that we may become a holy temple,
acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
As our Savior taught his disciples,
we pray:
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.
CLOSING SONG
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Blackwell’s “A Scottish Blessing.”
Be our light before to lead me;
Be a guiding star above;
Jesu, may I always know thee,
may I always know thy love.
Be our light before to lead me;
Be a guiding star above;
Jesu, may I always know thee,
may I always know thy love.
There is no bird that soars the mountain,
there is no deer upon the hill,
there is no creature of the forest,
but shall sing thy praises, praises still.
Be a kindly shepherd for me,
Keep me safe thru’ all my days;
Jesus, may I always know thee,
May I always sing thy praise.
There is no life that swims the ocean;
there is no creature of sea;
there is no fish within the river,
but proclaims its praise for, for thee.
As the day falls into evening,
as the night is lit with stars,
at the ending of life’s journey
may thy heavenly peace be ours.
Let ev’ry creature in God’s kingdom,
Let ev’ry life upon the shore
Sing praise to God, the world’s creator,
Sing praises now and ever, evermore.
Sing praises now and evermore.
THE CONCLUSION
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.
Amen.
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