Evening Prayer

 

Wednesday after the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

It is not ourselves that we proclaim; we proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants, for Jesus' sake. For the same God who said, “Out of darkness let light shine,” has caused his light to shine within us, to give the light of revelation—the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Confession of Sin

 

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,   strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

 

Invitatory and Psalter                         BCP p. 117

 

OfficiantO 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

 

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.

 

Psalm 81                                               BCP p. 704


Sing with joy to God our strength *

and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

Raise a song and sound the timbrel, * the merry harp, and the lyre.

Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon, *  and at the full moon, the day of our feast.

For this is a statute for Israel, * a law of the God of Jacob.

He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, * when he came out of the land of Egypt.

I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *

“I eased his shoulder from the burden; his hands were set free from bearing the load.” You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *

I answered you from the secret place of thunder and tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: * O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

There shall be no strange god among you; * you shall not worship a foreign god.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, * “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

And yet my people did not hear my voice, * and Israel would not obey me.

So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, * to follow their own devices.

Oh, that my people would listen to me! * that Israel would walk in my ways!

I should soon subdue their enemies * and turn my hand against their foes.

Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, * and their punishment would last for ever.

But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat * and satisfy him with honey from the rock.

 

Psalm 82                                               BCP p. 705

 

God takes his stand in the council of heaven; * he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:

“How long will you judge unjustly, * and show favor to the wicked?

Save the weak and the orphan; * defend the humble and needy;

Rescue the weak and the poor;  *

deliver them from the power of the wicked.

They do not know, neither do they understand; they go about in darkness; * all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *

and all of you children of the Most High;

Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, * and fall like any prince.’”

Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *

for you shall take all nations for your own.


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.

 

The Lesson                                        Matt. 5:38-48

 

A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.

“You have heard that it was said,   An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you,   Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to  go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said,  You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say   to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on  the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and   sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

 

 

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

12. A Song of Creation   Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65

 

Invocation

 

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.

 

I        The Cosmic Order

 

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.

 

II        The Earth and its Creatures

 

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.

 

III        The People of God

 

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.

 

Doxology

 

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.

 

The Apostles’ Creed                           BCP p. 96 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.

 

The Prayers

 

 

 

OfficiantThe Lord be with you.

People  And also with you.

OfficiantLet us pray.

 

The Lord’s Prayer 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.

 

Suffrages A

 

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.

 

The Collect of the Day

 

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

A Collect for Aid against Perils

 

Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

A Prayer for Mission

 

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 for our own needs and those of others.

 

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom                BCP p. 102

 

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