All Hallows Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer for Sunday (October 9, 2022)
This Sunday All Hallows Murray once more offers two services—Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. The order of service for both services comes from The Church of England’s service book, Common Worship (2000). The morning readings are different from the evening reading as are the psalms, the songs (with one exception), and the homily.
The service of Morning Prayer begins at the top of the page with the Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day. Scroll down the page for the beginning of the service of Evening Prayer with the Blessing of the Light. MORNING PRAYER
THE ACCLAMATION OF CHRIST AT THE DAWNING OF THE DAY
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Geoffrey Anketel Studdert Kennedy’s morning hymn, “Awake, Awake to Love and Work!”
1 Awake, awake to love and work!
The lark is in the sky;
The fields are wet with diamond dew;
The worlds awake to cry
Their blessings on the Lord of life,
As He goes meekly by.
2 Come, let thy voice be one with theirs,
Shout with their shout of praise;
See how the giant sun soars up,
Great lord of years and days!
So let the love of Jesus come
And set thy soul ablaze.
3 To give and give, and give again,
What God hath given thee;
To spend thyself nor count the cost;
To serve right gloriously
The God who gave all worlds that are,
And all that are to be.
This prayer of thanksgiving is said.
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALMODY
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jaraslov Vadja’s hymn, “Lord, I Must Praise You,” based on Psalm 111.
1 Lord, I must praise you when I stand in wonder
at your mighty works and splendor.
There is no other God, no one above you,
yet so close to those who love you.
O Lord, have mercy!
All your works declare your majesty
in an endless grand doxology;
even more would I praise
your compassion, love, and grace.
O Lord, have mercy!
2 Nothing but good you give to those who fear you,
ever near those who revere you.
To you the hungry come for daily feeding,
and the poor for justice pleading.
O Lord, have mercy!
All your deeds are honest and sincere;
all your vows as true as they appear.
Perfect love, rarest kind,
All I need in you I find.
O Lord, have mercy!
3. You sent your people long-desired salvation,
making us a blessed nation.
You are the rock: on you our hopes are founded;
Safe we dwell, by love surrounded.
O Lord, have mercy!
Make us wise to follow in your ways,
and receive our sacrifice of praise,
We are yours, yours to use
for your dreams as you may choose.
O Lord, have mercy!
Silence is kept.
Gracious God, you are full of compassion;
may we who long for your kingdom to come
rejoice to do your will
and acknowledge your power alone to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy R. Smith’s setting of the Benedictus es, “Glory and Praise for Ever.”
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
1 Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for ever;
and blessed is your holy and glorious name
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
2 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for ever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
3 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for ever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
4 Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for ever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
Glory and praise forever.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
2 Kings 5:1–3, 7–15 The Lord heals the leprosy of Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram.
The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.
At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the River Jordan. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the River Jordan and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!
Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
Silence is kept.
Luke 17:11–19 Jesus heals ten lepers.
As Jesus continued on towards Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
He looked at them and said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
How Your Church Can Become a Community of Healing
In his book John Wesley’s Message for Today, Steve Harper, gives two questions Wesley wanted the early Methodists to ask when they read the Scriptures so that would be able to apply what they had learned from a text and put it into practice right away. These questions can be used with longer readings like this morning’s Old Testament reading and shorter ones like this morning’s New Testament reading.
I have rephrased the questions slightly, but they are essentially what Wesley wanted early Methodists to ask. They can also help us to apply what we can learn from this morning’s readings and put it into practice both as individual Christians and as a local church,
The first question is “What do this morning’s readings mean for us as Christians?” The second question is “How can we put the truths and principles that we find in these readings to work for the good of others?”
Among the things that both readings tell us is that God does not confine his grace to people like us. In the first reading God chooses to heal an Aramean, a Syrian, the commander of the army of a people who raided the people of Israel for slaves. Naaman’s wife’s slave was a young woman taken in one such raid. Naaman was outside the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. He was not a worshipper of the God of Israel. Yet God chose to heal him.
In the second reading one of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed was a Samaritan. The other nine lepers were presumably Jews since Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. According to the Law of Moses lepers were required to present themselves to the priests of Israel if they were no longer exhibiting symptoms of their disease. The priests after examining them would then declare them to be clean. They would then be permitted back into society from whom they were outcasts.
Both Naaman and the Samaritan experienced feelings of gratitude. Naaman acknowledged that God was the only true God and wanted to give Elisha a gift, but Elisha refused to accept any gift from Naaman, saying Naaman healing was God’s doing, not his. The Samaritan, when he discovered that he had been healed, returned to Jesus, praising God. The Samaritan prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Jesus for what he had done. Jesus then draws attention to the fact that the only person who returned to give glory to God was a “foreigner.” Jesus then commends the Samaritan for his faith.
One of the things that we can conclude from these two readings is if someone is healed by God in response to our prayer, our laying hands on them, or our anointing them with oil, that like Elisha we should accept no kind of renumeration in any form. The healing was God’s doing, not ours. To him belongs all thanks and praise.
A second thing that we can conclude from the same readings is gratitude and thankfulness to God is the right way to respond to God’s healing of ourselves. The Samaritan sets a good example of what should be our response.
A third thing that we can conclude is that we should not only pray for the healing of those within the church but also for those outside of the church and we should invite people from outside of the church to our healing services. It is God who decides where he will extend his grace, not us. God will sometimes use a healing to draw someone to himself.
We should take care not to conclude from these readings is that God heals people according to the measure of their faith. The faith of the Samaritan in the second reading can be understood to be the faith that caused him to seek healing from Jesus. When Jesus commends people for their faith, he does not commend them for their degree of faith, but for their openness to believe that he would heal them. Everyone for whom we pray, on whom we lay hands, whom we anoint with oil will not be healed. God is sovereign in such matters. They should not be allowed to feel that it was the result of a lack of faith on their part.
If our church does not have a regular healing service, it may be a good time to start one. This is something that members of a congregation may wish to explore with their pastor and pastors with the members of their congregation. As well as offering those who attend a healing service prayer, laying on of hands, anointing, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, a congregation can provide them with a loving, caring, supportive community at what may be a very difficult time in their lives. Sometimes God will heal with a kind, encouraging word or a friendly, comforting hug. Sometimes what a person who comes to a healing service needs the most is to be a part of a warm, accepting community so that they no longer feel alone and uncared for in the world. The community itself can be a means of God’s grace, a community of healing.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw’s metrical version of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blessed Be the God of Israel.”
Blessed be the God of Israel
who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us:
a Branch from David's tree.
So have the prophets long declared
that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies
and all who wish us harm.
With promised mercy will God still
the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham,
from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear
and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness
to serve God all our days.
My child, as prophet of the Lord,
you will prepare the way,
to tell God's people they are saved
from sin's eternal sway.
Then shall God's mercy from on high
shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death
and lead us into peace.
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 loving kindness to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in 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,
The first question is “What do this morning’s readings mean for us as Christians?” The second question is “How can we put the truths and principles that we find in these readings to work for the good of others?”
Among the things that both readings tell us is that God does not confine his grace to people like us. In the first reading God chooses to heal an Aramean, a Syrian, the commander of the army of a people who raided the people of Israel for slaves. Naaman’s wife’s slave was a young woman taken in one such raid. Naaman was outside the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. He was not a worshipper of the God of Israel. Yet God chose to heal him.
In the second reading one of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed was a Samaritan. The other nine lepers were presumably Jews since Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. According to the Law of Moses lepers were required to present themselves to the priests of Israel if they were no longer exhibiting symptoms of their disease. The priests after examining them would then declare them to be clean. They would then be permitted back into society from whom they were outcasts.
Both Naaman and the Samaritan experienced feelings of gratitude. Naaman acknowledged that God was the only true God and wanted to give Elisha a gift, but Elisha refused to accept any gift from Naaman, saying Naaman healing was God’s doing, not his. The Samaritan, when he discovered that he had been healed, returned to Jesus, praising God. The Samaritan prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Jesus for what he had done. Jesus then draws attention to the fact that the only person who returned to give glory to God was a “foreigner.” Jesus then commends the Samaritan for his faith.
One of the things that we can conclude from these two readings is if someone is healed by God in response to our prayer, our laying hands on them, or our anointing them with oil, that like Elisha we should accept no kind of renumeration in any form. The healing was God’s doing, not ours. To him belongs all thanks and praise.
A second thing that we can conclude from the same readings is gratitude and thankfulness to God is the right way to respond to God’s healing of ourselves. The Samaritan sets a good example of what should be our response.
A third thing that we can conclude is that we should not only pray for the healing of those within the church but also for those outside of the church and we should invite people from outside of the church to our healing services. It is God who decides where he will extend his grace, not us. God will sometimes use a healing to draw someone to himself.
We should take care not to conclude from these readings is that God heals people according to the measure of their faith. The faith of the Samaritan in the second reading can be understood to be the faith that caused him to seek healing from Jesus. When Jesus commends people for their faith, he does not commend them for their degree of faith, but for their openness to believe that he would heal them. Everyone for whom we pray, on whom we lay hands, whom we anoint with oil will not be healed. God is sovereign in such matters. They should not be allowed to feel that it was the result of a lack of faith on their part.
If our church does not have a regular healing service, it may be a good time to start one. This is something that members of a congregation may wish to explore with their pastor and pastors with the members of their congregation. As well as offering those who attend a healing service prayer, laying on of hands, anointing, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, a congregation can provide them with a loving, caring, supportive community at what may be a very difficult time in their lives. Sometimes God will heal with a kind, encouraging word or a friendly, comforting hug. Sometimes what a person who comes to a healing service needs the most is to be a part of a warm, accepting community so that they no longer feel alone and uncared for in the world. The community itself can be a means of God’s grace, a community of healing.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw’s metrical version of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blessed Be the God of Israel.”
Blessed be the God of Israel
who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us:
a Branch from David's tree.
So have the prophets long declared
that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies
and all who wish us harm.
With promised mercy will God still
the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham,
from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear
and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness
to serve God all our days.
My child, as prophet of the Lord,
you will prepare the way,
to tell God's people they are saved
from sin's eternal sway.
Then shall God's mercy from on high
shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death
and lead us into peace.
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 loving kindness to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in 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,
in our baptism you adopted us for your own.
Quicken, we pray, your Spirit within us,
that we, being renewed both in body and mind,
may worship you in sincerity and truth;
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 Margaret Becker’s “Christ Beside Me.”
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
THE CONCLUSION
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
EVENING PRAYER
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 the translation of the Phos Hilaron, O Gracious Light, from The Book of Common Prayer (1979).
1 O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
2 Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3 You are worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
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 Songs in His Presence’s setting of Psalm 66, “Let All the Earth Cry Out.”
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Silence is kept.
How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation,
how faithful is your love;
help us to trust you in trial
and praise you in deliverance;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas’, “Blest Are They,” a song based on the Beatitudes.
Blest are they, the poor in spirit
Theirs is the kingdom of God
Blest are they, full of sorrow
They shall be consoled
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they, the lowly ones
They shall inherit the earth
Blest are they, who hunger and thirst
They shall have their fill
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they who show mercy
Mercy shall be theirs
Blest are they, the pure of heart
They shall see God
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they who seek peace
They are the children of God
Blest are they who suffer in faith
The glory of God is theirs
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are you who suffer hate
All because of me
Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom
Shine for all to see
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
SCRIPTURE READING
Jeremiah 29:1, 4–7 God’s counsel to the Judean captives in Babylon
Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
What Can We Do to Make an Investment in Our Neighborhood or Community?
In this evening’s reading from the Old Testament, from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we learn that the city of Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar has exiled the elders, the priests, the prophets, and a number of the people to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar did not exile everyone to Babylon but permitted a remnant to stay behind in Jerusalem until proved themselves untrustworthy and rebellious. Jeremiah barely escaped being exiled to Babylon himself. He was subsequently forced to accompany a group of Judeans fleeing to Egypt to escape Nebuchadnezzar’ anger. He lived out the remainder of his days in Egypt.
At the time he wrote the letter mentioned in the reading, Jeremiah had not yet been taken against his will to Egypt. In the letter he gives the exiles in Babylon the counsel that he received for them from God. They are urged to make the best of their situation. For us a key passage are these words—
“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
A truth underlying that passage is God places us where he wants us. How that works, I cannot say exactly. In whatever way we get there, we will end up where God intends us to be. Whenever we get there, he expects us to do what he urges the exiled Judeans to do. We are to work for the peace and prosperity of the locality in which we find ourselves—whether a large urban center, small town, village, or rural area. We are pray for our neighborhood and our community because their welfare will determine our welfare.
This truth is one that those who comprise existing churches as well as those planting and pioneering new ones have come to recognize. How well a church will do in a particular locality is connected to how well that people outside that church are doing, to the neighborhood or community itself. To thrive a church needs to become active in helping the neighborhood or community thrive. For individual Christians it means taking an interest in the neighborhood or community and becoming involved in the life of the neighborhood or community. Most neighborhoods and communities have unmet needs, and churches and individual Christians can meet them or work with others to meet them. Among the benefits of this kind of involvement is people in the neighborhood or community get to know the people in the church and visa versa. Eventually the neighborhood or community will adopt the church and see it as an integral part of the neighborhood or community.
Working for the peace and prosperity of the city requires an attitude change. Rather than thinking in terms of how we as a church can benefit from a particular community, we think in terms of how we can serve that area. One of the new churches that I was involved in pioneering is located in a transitional area, an area changing from rural to suburban. A survey of the area identified several needs that the new church could meet. One was the need for an afterschool and tutoring program for the area’s school children. A second was a need for recreational opportunities for the children. A third was the need for a survivors of sexual abuse support group. The new church was able to meet the first need and the third need and to work with other churches, schools, and community groups to meet the second need.
At the time I relocated to Kentucky, the church was thriving. The church planter who started the church would move on to plant a new church in another part of the county and the church would call a new pastor. I would become involved in a new church plant in the town on the outskirts of which I now live. That church would also invest in the community in which it was located and would thrive.
If we look around us, asking God to help us see the needs, we can as a church and as individual Christians find ways that we can “work for the peace and the prosperity of the city.” We certainly can pray for the welfare of our neighborhood or community.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lucien Deiss' setting of the Magnificat.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
And from this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty handed.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
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 loving kindness to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in 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,
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 Margaret Becker’s “Christ Beside Me.”
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
THE CONCLUSION
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
EVENING PRAYER
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 the translation of the Phos Hilaron, O Gracious Light, from The Book of Common Prayer (1979).
1 O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
2 Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3 You are worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
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 Songs in His Presence’s setting of Psalm 66, “Let All the Earth Cry Out.”
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
Let all the earth cry out to God,
cry out to God with joy.
Silence is kept.
How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation,
how faithful is your love;
help us to trust you in trial
and praise you in deliverance;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas’, “Blest Are They,” a song based on the Beatitudes.
Blest are they, the poor in spirit
Theirs is the kingdom of God
Blest are they, full of sorrow
They shall be consoled
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they, the lowly ones
They shall inherit the earth
Blest are they, who hunger and thirst
They shall have their fill
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they who show mercy
Mercy shall be theirs
Blest are they, the pure of heart
They shall see God
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are they who seek peace
They are the children of God
Blest are they who suffer in faith
The glory of God is theirs
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Blest are you who suffer hate
All because of me
Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom
Shine for all to see
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
Rejoice and be glad
Blessed are you; holy are you
Rejoice and be glad
Yours is the Kingdom of God
SCRIPTURE READING
Jeremiah 29:1, 4–7 God’s counsel to the Judean captives in Babylon
Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
What Can We Do to Make an Investment in Our Neighborhood or Community?
In this evening’s reading from the Old Testament, from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we learn that the city of Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar has exiled the elders, the priests, the prophets, and a number of the people to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar did not exile everyone to Babylon but permitted a remnant to stay behind in Jerusalem until proved themselves untrustworthy and rebellious. Jeremiah barely escaped being exiled to Babylon himself. He was subsequently forced to accompany a group of Judeans fleeing to Egypt to escape Nebuchadnezzar’ anger. He lived out the remainder of his days in Egypt.
At the time he wrote the letter mentioned in the reading, Jeremiah had not yet been taken against his will to Egypt. In the letter he gives the exiles in Babylon the counsel that he received for them from God. They are urged to make the best of their situation. For us a key passage are these words—
“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
A truth underlying that passage is God places us where he wants us. How that works, I cannot say exactly. In whatever way we get there, we will end up where God intends us to be. Whenever we get there, he expects us to do what he urges the exiled Judeans to do. We are to work for the peace and prosperity of the locality in which we find ourselves—whether a large urban center, small town, village, or rural area. We are pray for our neighborhood and our community because their welfare will determine our welfare.
This truth is one that those who comprise existing churches as well as those planting and pioneering new ones have come to recognize. How well a church will do in a particular locality is connected to how well that people outside that church are doing, to the neighborhood or community itself. To thrive a church needs to become active in helping the neighborhood or community thrive. For individual Christians it means taking an interest in the neighborhood or community and becoming involved in the life of the neighborhood or community. Most neighborhoods and communities have unmet needs, and churches and individual Christians can meet them or work with others to meet them. Among the benefits of this kind of involvement is people in the neighborhood or community get to know the people in the church and visa versa. Eventually the neighborhood or community will adopt the church and see it as an integral part of the neighborhood or community.
Working for the peace and prosperity of the city requires an attitude change. Rather than thinking in terms of how we as a church can benefit from a particular community, we think in terms of how we can serve that area. One of the new churches that I was involved in pioneering is located in a transitional area, an area changing from rural to suburban. A survey of the area identified several needs that the new church could meet. One was the need for an afterschool and tutoring program for the area’s school children. A second was a need for recreational opportunities for the children. A third was the need for a survivors of sexual abuse support group. The new church was able to meet the first need and the third need and to work with other churches, schools, and community groups to meet the second need.
At the time I relocated to Kentucky, the church was thriving. The church planter who started the church would move on to plant a new church in another part of the county and the church would call a new pastor. I would become involved in a new church plant in the town on the outskirts of which I now live. That church would also invest in the community in which it was located and would thrive.
If we look around us, asking God to help us see the needs, we can as a church and as individual Christians find ways that we can “work for the peace and the prosperity of the city.” We certainly can pray for the welfare of our neighborhood or community.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lucien Deiss' setting of the Magnificat.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
And from this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty handed.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
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 loving kindness to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are in 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,
in our baptism you adopted us for your own.
Quicken, we pray, your Spirit within us,
that we, being renewed both in body and mind,
may worship you in sincerity and truth;
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 Margaret Becker’s “Christ Beside Me.”
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
THE CONCLUSION
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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 Margaret Becker’s “Christ Beside Me.”
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
Christ above me
Christ beside me
Christ within me
Ever guiding
Christ behind me
Christ before me
Christ my love, my life
My Lord
Hear our cries
Father heal our lives
Join our hearts in peace
That Your bride may come
Deep within
Fuel our love again
Come release our land
That Your bride may come
THE CONCLUSION
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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