Officiant O
God, make speed to save us.
People O
Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
Alleluia.
O gracious light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed! 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. 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.
I have done what is
just and right; *
do not deliver me to my oppressors.
Be surety for your
servant’s good; *
let not the proud oppress me.
My eyes have failed
from watching for your salvation *
and for your righteous promise.
Deal with your
servant according to your loving-kindness *
and teach me your
statutes.
I am your servant;
grant me understanding, *
that I may know your decrees.
It is time for you
to act, O LORD, *
for they have broken your law.
Truly, I love your
commandments *
more than gold and precious stones.
I hold all your
commandments to be right for me; *
all paths of falsehood I abhor.
Your decrees are
wonderful; *
therefore I obey them with all my heart.
When your word goes
forth it gives light; *
it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and
pant; *
I long for your commandments.
Turn to me in mercy,
*
as you always do to those who love your Name.
Steady my footsteps
in your word; *
let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Rescue me from those
who oppress me, *
and I will keep your commandments.
Let your countenance
shine upon your servant *
and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams
of tears, *
because people do not keep your law.
You are righteous, O
LORD, *
and upright are your judgments.
You have issued your
decrees *
with justice and in perfect faithfulness.
My indignation has
consumed me, *
because my enemies forget your words.
Your word has been
tested to the uttermost, *
and your servant holds it dear.
I am small and of
little account, *
yet I do not forget your commandments.
Your justice is an
everlasting justice *
and your law is the truth.
Trouble and distress
have come upon me, *
yet your commandments are my delight.
The righteousness of
your decrees is everlasting; *
grant me understanding, that I may
live.
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.
A Reading from the Second Book of Samuel.
Then the king said to Joab, “Very well, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” Joab prostrated himself with his face to the ground and did obeisance, and blessed the king; and Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” So Joab set off, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. The king said, “Let him go to his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom went to his own house, and did not come into the king’s presence. Now in all Israel there was no one to be praised so much for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. When he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.
So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence. Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king; but Joab would not come to him. He sent a second time, but Joab would not come. Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. Then Joab rose and went to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you: Come here, that I may send you to the king with the question, ‘Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.’ Now let me go into the king’s presence; if there is guilt in me, let him kill me!” Then Joab went to the king and told him; and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Glorify the Lord,
all you works of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for
ever.
In the firmament of
his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for
ever.
Glorify the Lord,
you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters
above the heavens.
Sun and moon and
stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt
him for ever.
Glorify the Lord,
every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and
heat.
Winter and Summer,
glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow
Frost and cold, ice
and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for
ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and
thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him
for ever.
Let the earth
glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth, *
praise
him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move
in the waters.
All birds of the
air, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.
O men and women
everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him
for ever.
Let the people of
God glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
priests and servants of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt
him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O
spirits and souls of the righteous, *
praise him and highly exalt
him for ever.
You that are holy
and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly
exalt him for ever.
Let us glorify the
Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
praise him and highly exalt
him for ever.
In the firmament of
his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for
ever.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Lord, you now have
set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of
mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the
world to see:
A Light to enlighten
the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
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.
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator
of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and
born of the Virgin Mary.
He
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was
crucified, died, and was buried.
He
descended to the dead.
On
the third day he rose again.
He
ascended into heaven,
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He
will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
the
holy catholic Church,
the
communion of saints,
the
forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and
the life everlasting. Amen.
Officiant The
Lord be with you.
People And
also with you.
Officiant Let
us 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,
and
the power, and the glory,
for
ever and ever. Amen.
V. Show
us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And
grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe
your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let
your people sing with joy.
V. Give
peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For
only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord,
keep this nation under your care;
R. And
guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let
your way be known upon earth;
R. Your
saving health among all nations.
V. Let
not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor
the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create
in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And
sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
O
God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole
earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and
bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let
us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
Almighty
God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our
common supplication to you; and you have promised through your
well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his
Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our
desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this
world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life
everlasting. Amen.
Let
us bless the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21