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.
Answer me when I
call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am
hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
“You mortals,
how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship
dumb idols
and run after false gods?”
Know that the LORD
does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he
will hear me.
Tremble, then, and
do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed
sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
Many are
saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift
up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
You have put
gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil
increase.
I lie down in peace;
at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in
safety.
O LORD my God, I
take refuge in you; *
save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
Lest like a lion
they tear me in pieces *
and snatch me away with none to deliver
me.
O LORD my God, if I
have done these things: *
if there is any wickedness in my hands,
If I have repaid my
friend with evil, *
or plundered him who without cause is my
enemy;
Then let my enemy
pursue and overtake me, *
trample my life into the ground,
and
lay my honor in the dust.
Stand up, O LORD, in
your wrath; *
rise up against the fury of my enemies.
Awake, O my God,
decree justice; *
let the assembly of the peoples gather round
you.
Be seated on your
lofty throne, O Most High; *
O LORD, judge the nations.
Give judgment for me
according to my righteousness, O LORD, *
and according to my
innocence, O Most High.
Let the malice of
the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous; *
for
you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
God is my shield and
defense; *
he is the savior of the true in heart.
God is a righteous
judge; *
God sits in judgment every day.
If they will not
repent, God will whet his sword; *
he will bend his bow and make
it ready.
He has prepared his
weapons of death; *
he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
Look at those who
are in labor with wickedness, *
who conceive evil, and give birth
to a lie.
They dig a pit and
make it deep *
and fall into the hole that they have made.
Their malice turns
back upon their own head; *
their violence falls on their own
scalp.
I will bear witness
that the LORD is righteous; *
I will praise the Name of the LORD
Most High.
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 the Prophet Isaiah.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has instructed him? Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust. Lebanon would not provide fuel enough, nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol? —A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains. As a gift one chooses mulberry wood—wood that will not rot— then seeks out a skilled artisan to set up an image that will not topple. Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
I will sing to the
Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has
he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my
strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I
will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty
warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of
Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
the finest of
those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep
has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O
Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has
overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared
with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in
holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth
your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant
love you led the people you redeemed; *
with your might you
brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them
in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place
you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that
your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign
*
for ever and 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.
A Reading from the Book of Hebrews.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
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 in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom
come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us
today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive
those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and
deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the
glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
That
this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful.
We entreat you, O
Lord.
That
your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We
entreat you, O Lord.
That
we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We
entreat you, O Lord.
That
there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We
entreat you, O Lord.
That
we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned
before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That
we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all
your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We
entreat you, O Lord.
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. 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, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21