All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (January 4, 2023)
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Sims’ arrangement of Sylvia Dunstan’s paraphrase of the Phos Hilaron, “O Laughing Light, First-Born of Creation.”
1 O laughing light, O First-born of creation,
Radiance of glory, light from light begotten,
God self-revealing, holy, bright and blessed:
You shine upon us.
2 Day’s light is fleeting; your light is eternal.
We look to you, our light within the shadow.
We sing to you, Creator, Christ, and Spirit;
You shine before us.
3 Light of the world, O Jesus Christ, we bless you!
Giver of life and Child of God, we praise you!
Hear as the universe proclaims your glory!
You shine among us.
You shine among us.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
our eternal Father and David’s king.
You have made our gladness greater and increased our joy
by sending to dwell among us
the Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace.
Born of Mary,
proclaimed to the shepherds,
and acknowledged to the ends of the earth,
your unconquered Sun of righteousness
destroys our darkness and establishes us in freedom.
All glory in the highest be to you,
through Christ, the Son of your favour,
in the anointing love of his Spirit,
this night and for ever and ever. Amen.
The Psalms
Open this link in a new tab to hear Andrea Sandefur’s setting of Psalm 134, “Come, All Your Servants of the Lord.”
Come all you servants of the Lord (bless the Lord)
Who stand by night in the house of the Lord
Come all you servants of the Lord (bless the Lord)
Who stand by night in the house of the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord, bless the Lord
May the Lord bless you from Zion
He who made heaven and earth (heaven and earth)
May the Lord bless you from Zion
He who made heaven and earth (heaven and earth)
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord, bless the Lord
Silence is kept.
Guard all your household, Lord,
through the dark night of faith,
and purify the hearts of those who wait on you,
until your kingdom dawns with the
rising of your Son,
Christ, the morning star.
Praise to you our God;
You answer prayer. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Liam Lawson’s adaptation of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place.”
How lovely is your dwelling, O Lord, my God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
1 My soul is thirsting for the Lord,
how it yearns for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and soul ring out for joy
to God, the living God.
How lovely is your dwelling, O Lord, my God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
2 The sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood.
She lays her young by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
How lovely is your dwelling, O Lord, my God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
3 One day, O Lord, within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God
I prefer to the house of the wicked.
How lovely is your dwelling, O Lord, my God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
Silence is kept.
Lord God,
sustain us in this vale of tears
with the vision of your grace and glory,
that, strengthened by the bread of life,
we may come to your eternal dwelling place;
in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
The Proclamation of the Word
The Readings
A reading from the Book of Ruth (Ruth 3)
One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”
“I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.
After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
“The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”
So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.
When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”
Silence follows the reading
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Open this link in a new tab to hear Janet Whitaker’s “Magnificat.”
1 Sing out, my soul, for God has raised and blessed me
and looked on me with kindly, loving eyes.
A servant lowly yet I am beloved.
This wondrous God has done great things for me.
Forevermore O mighty God of mercy,
I will sing praise for holy is your name!
2 The proud of heart he shall make low and humble.
The gentle, poor and hungry shall be filled.
O Israel! God shall uphold the promise
made long ago to you and Abraham.
Forevermore O mighty God of mercy,
I will sing praise for holy is your name!
3 Glory to you, the God of all creation.
Glory to, O Christ, the promised one.
Glory to you, O Spirit of Compassion.
Inspire our hearts to sing our mother’s song.
Forevermore O mighty God of mercy,
I will sing praise for holy is your name!
A reading from the Letter to the Colossians (Colossians 3:12-17)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Silence follows the reading
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Open a link in a new tab to hear Manoling Francisco’s “Simeon’s Canticle.”
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
A Child shall be born to the Virgin,
And His Name shall be called, "Emmanuel."
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared for all men.
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
A Light shall reveal to the nations
And the glory of Your people, Israel.
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.
Lord, let Your servant go in peace...
Homily
A Representative of the Lord Jesus
“…whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus….”
Let us take a look at the implications of these words for those who follow the Lord Jesus as his disciples.
A representative “is someone who speaks or does something officially for another person or group of people,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
What the apostle Paul is telling the members of the church at Colossae to whom he wrote the letter is that they should be mindful of what they say and how they act since they are speaking and acting on their Lord’s behalf. In their words and actions, they reveal the effects of his influence upon them and its extent. They also become living signs of their Lord as they will be connected with him in a lot of people’s minds. They show that he exists, and he can transform lives. They can be a positive influence upon those around them and a force for good in their neighborhood, community, school or university, workplace, and the larger world.
When the Pharisees and Sadducees demanded that Jesus show them a sign from heaven which would demonstrate the source of his authority, his response was that the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. Just as the people had responded with repentance to Jonah’s warning that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed, people who heard Jesus’ message were turning from their evil ways and turning to God. They were experiencing a change of heart which was leading to a change of direction in their lives.
This change of attitude and its accompanying actions is what is called repentance. It is not a one-time occurrence but is something that characterizes the entire life of a disciple of Jesus. It may be described as a constant turning away from sin and our old lives to God and a new life in Jesus. It is living proof that the power of the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, and we are not resisting the Holy Spirit’s gentle nudging to leave behind us the things that keep us from enjoying the right kind of relationship with God and are cooperating with God in the renovation of the divine image in us.
Repentance and its companion, faith, are vital to our growth and development as disciples of Jesus. They are the first steps to our spiritual rebirth and a new life in him. Once we set our feet on that path, we cannot continue on it without them. Together with God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, they make it possible for us to do what apostle Paul urges the members of the church at Colossae to do in this evening’s New Testament reading and to truly speak and act as our Lord’s representatives.
Silence is kept.
Affirmation of Faith
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
This is the first and the great commandment.
The second is like it:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
Intercessions and Thanksgivings
The leader or another participant leads the prayers, using the following form.
Let us join in prayer with God’s faithful people throughout the world, saying “God of Love: hear our prayer.”
We pray for the unity of your church, that our life may reflect the love you have shown us.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We ask your grace for all pastors, elders, and deacons and for all who minister in word and in deed, that we may bear faithful witness to your good news.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We seek your justice and peace in our world, our country, and our community, that the needy may never be forgotten.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We ask your blessing on our homes, our friends and family, and on those who live alone, that we may know your presence ever near us.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We name before you all whom you have given us to pray for [especially….], knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can ask or imagine.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We commend to you all who have died [especially….], that our trust in you may deepen, knowing that you are a just and merciful God.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We offer our thanks and praise for all you have done for us, rejoicing in the knowledge that you are with us always.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
We look for your purposes to be accomplished and ask you to fill us with the strength and vision to carry out your will.
God of love: Hear our prayer.
Additional intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings may be offered in silence or aloud.
The Collect
Eternal God,
to whom a thousand years are
no more than a moment;
renew us in your Holy Spirit,
so that we may serve you with
courage
while we have life and breath;
through the grace of Jesus your Son
our Saviour.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Saviour Christ 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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s adaptation of the Prayer of St. Francis, “Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.”
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love;
where there is injury, let me bring pardon;
where there is doubting, let me bring faith.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is despairing, let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, let me bring light;
where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
O Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
For it is giving that we receive;
and it is pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is dying that we are born.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May God, who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, bless and keep us and fill us with peace. Amen.
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