Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2
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 will cry aloud to God; *
I will cry aloud, and he
will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; *
my
hands were stretched out by night and did not tire;
I refused to
be comforted.
I think of God, I am restless, *
I ponder, and my
spirit faints.
You will not let my eyelids close; *
I am troubled
and I cannot speak.
I consider the days of old; *
I remember the years
long past;
I commune with my heart in the night; *
I ponder and
search my mind.
Will the Lord cast me off for ever? *
will he no more
show his favor?
Has his loving-kindness come to an end for ever? *
has
his promise failed for evermore?
Has God forgotten to be gracious? *
has he, in his
anger, withheld his compassion?
And I said, “My grief is this: *
the right hand
of the Most High has lost its power.”
I will remember the works of the LORD, *
and call to
mind your wonders of old time.
I will meditate on all your acts *
and ponder your
mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a god as
our God?
You are the God who works wonders *
and have declared
your power among the peoples.
By your strength you have redeemed your people, *
the
children of Jacob and Joseph.
The waters saw you, O God;
the waters saw you and
trembled; *
the very depths were shaken.
The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered;
*
your arrows flashed to and fro;
The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your
lightnings lit up the world; *
the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was in the sea,
and your paths in the great
waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.
You led your people like a flock *
by the hand of
Moses and Aaron.
O God, the heathen have come into your inheritance;
they
have profaned your holy temple; *
they have made Jerusalem a heap
of rubble.
They have given the bodies of your servants as food for
the birds of the air, *
and the flesh of your faithful ones to the
beasts of the field.
They have shed their blood like water on every side of
Jerusalem, *
and there was no one to bury them.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, *
an
object of scorn and derision to those around us.
How long will you be angry, O LORD? *
will your fury
blaze like fire for ever?
Pour out your wrath upon the heathen who have not known
you *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your Name.
For they have devoured Jacob *
and made his dwelling
a ruin.
Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be
swift to meet us; *
for we have been brought very low.
Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your Name;
*
deliver us and forgive us our sins, for your Name’s sake.
Why should the heathen say, “Where is their God?”
*
Let it be known among the heathen and in our sight
that you
avenge the shedding of your servants’ blood.
Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before
you, *
and by your great might spare those who are condemned to
die.
May the revilings with which they reviled you, O Lord,
*
return seven-fold into their bosoms.
For we are your people and the sheep of your pasture;
*
we will give you thanks for ever
and show forth your praise
from age to age.
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 Book of Hebrews.
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them. We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
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.
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for 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.
Prayers and Intercessions
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.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13