All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (January 11, 2023)
The Service of the Light
Light and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord
Thanks be to God
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical version of the Phos hilaron, “O Light Whose Splendor Thrills and Gladdens.”
O Light whose splendor thrills and gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God's unending glory,
O Jesus, blest Anointed One;
as twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.
In all life's brilliant, timeless moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our Life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe!
Your word brings on the dusk of evening,
your wisdom creates both night and day.
You determine the cycles of time,
arrange the succession of seasons,
and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.
Lord of the starry hosts is your name.
Living and eternal God, rule over us always.
Blessed be the Lord, whose word makes evening fall. 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 Reading
A reading from the letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 2: 1-10)
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Silence follows the reading
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s paraphrase of the Magnificat, "My Soul Proclaims with Wonder."
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
For God has looked with favor,
on one the world thought frail;
and blessings through the ages will echo
the angel's first "All hail."
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
God's mercy shields the faithful
and gives them safe retreat
to arms that turns to scatter
the proud in their conceit.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
The mighty have been vanquished;
the lowly lifted up.
The hungry find abundance;
the rich, an empty cup.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
To Abraham's descendants
the Lord will steadfast prove,
for God has made with Israel
a covenant of love.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
Homily
A Gift from God
When I was a boy in England, my aunt, my mother’s younger sister, used to send my older brother and I a gift at Christmas time. The gift was always a pleasant surprise. My older brother and I did not expect a gift from her, and we were delighted when we got one. At the time we did not know her as she was living in the United States with her husband and her son. She had married an American GI who had been stationed in England during the war and had gone to live with him in the United States when the war ended. The war to which I am referring is World War II.
The gifts that my aunt sent us were different from the other gifts that we got at Christmas time. One year my aunt sent me Watty Piper’s illustrated children’s book, The Little Engine That Could. Of the gifts she sent me, it may have been my favorite. It would certainly influence how I looked at life.
Among the lessons I learned from the story was to believe in myself, not to give up, and to persevere. We can accomplish much through the dint of our own efforts. The Little Blue Engine succeeded in pulling the long train over a high mountain after its own locomotive broke down. She overcomes a seemingly impossible task, one which other locomotives refused to undertake.
There are many things in this life which we can accomplish by our own efforts. Making things right between God and ourselves, however, is not one of them.
The gifts that my aunt sent us were different from the other gifts that we got at Christmas time. One year my aunt sent me Watty Piper’s illustrated children’s book, The Little Engine That Could. Of the gifts she sent me, it may have been my favorite. It would certainly influence how I looked at life.
Among the lessons I learned from the story was to believe in myself, not to give up, and to persevere. We can accomplish much through the dint of our own efforts. The Little Blue Engine succeeded in pulling the long train over a high mountain after its own locomotive broke down. She overcomes a seemingly impossible task, one which other locomotives refused to undertake.
There are many things in this life which we can accomplish by our own efforts. Making things right between God and ourselves, however, is not one of them.
Like the book my aunt sent me, being put right with God is a gift, a gift to us from God. It is an act of grace on God’s part, an act of God’s goodwill and favor toward us. We don’t deserve it. We cannot earn it.
All we can do is thankfully receive the gift, trusting the Giver and the gift.
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
(In peace let us pray to the Lord, saying, “We pray to you, Lord.”)
That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We pray to you, Lord.
That the work we have done this day and the people we have met may bring us closer to you,
We pray to you, Lord.
That we may be forgiven our sins and offences,
We pray to you, Lord.
That we may hear and respond to your call to peace and justice,
We pray to you, Lord.
That you will sustain the faith and hope of the weary, the lonely, and the oppressed,
We pray to you, Lord.
That you will strengthen us in your service, and fill our hearts with longing for your kingdom,
We pray to you, Lord.
Additional intercessions, petitions, and thanksgiving may be offered in silence or aloud.
The Collect
O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the
evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have
made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of
our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be
the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever
and ever. 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 Jeff Nelson and Scott Wesley Brown’s “Grace Alone.”
Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace
Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace
Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
We will go forth in grace alone (we will go forth in grace alone)
Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All we can do is thankfully receive the gift, trusting the Giver and the gift.
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
(In peace let us pray to the Lord, saying, “We pray to you, Lord.”)
That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We pray to you, Lord.
That the work we have done this day and the people we have met may bring us closer to you,
We pray to you, Lord.
That we may be forgiven our sins and offences,
We pray to you, Lord.
That we may hear and respond to your call to peace and justice,
We pray to you, Lord.
That you will sustain the faith and hope of the weary, the lonely, and the oppressed,
We pray to you, Lord.
That you will strengthen us in your service, and fill our hearts with longing for your kingdom,
We pray to you, Lord.
Additional intercessions, petitions, and thanksgiving may be offered in silence or aloud.
The Collect
O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the
evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have
made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of
our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be
the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever
and ever. 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 Jeff Nelson and Scott Wesley Brown’s “Grace Alone.”
Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace
Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace
Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
We will go forth in grace alone (we will go forth in grace alone)
Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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