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EVENING
PRAYER for Wednesday after 11 Pentecost
Vespers
(Lutheran
Book of Worship, page 142)
Jesus
Christ is the Light of the World,
The
light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
And the day is
almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness,
And illumine your
Church.
Joyous
light of glory:
of
the immortal Father;
heavenly, holy, blessed
Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the
sun,
and we look to the
evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit:
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices
forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life:
The universe proclaims
your glory.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give
him thanks and praise.
Blessed
are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who led your people Israel by a
pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night: Enlighten our darkness by
the light of your Christ; may his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our
path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and we, your
creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to
you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise
before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before
my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart
incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness
with evildoers.
But my eyes are
turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not
of my life.
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it
was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise
before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice.
Silence
for meditation.
Let
the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your
lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your
praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify
you forever and ever.
Amen
Psalm 132
1 Lord, re- | member David,*
and all the hardships | he
endured;
2 how he swore an
oath | to the Lord*
and vowed a vow to the Mighty |
One of Jacob:
3 "I will not
come under the roof | of my house,*
nor climb up in- | to my bed;
4 I will not allow
my | eyes to sleep,*
nor let my | eyelids slumber;
5 until I find a
place | for the Lord,*
a dwelling for the Mighty | One
of Jacob."
6 "The ark! We heard it | was in Ephratah;*
we found it in the | fields of
Jearim.
7 Let us go to God's
| dwelling-place;*
let us fall upon our knees be- |
fore his footstool."
8 Arise, O Lord, into your | resting-place,*
you and the ark | of your
strength.
9 Let your priests
be | clothed with righteousness;*
let your faithful people | sing
with joy.
10 For your servant |
David's sake,*
do not turn away the face of |
your anointed.
11 The Lord has sworn an | oath to David;*
in truth, he | will not break
it:
12 "A son, the
fruit | of your body*
will I set up- | on your throne.
13 If your children
keep my covenant and my testimonies that | I shall teach them,*
their children will sit upon
your throne for- | evermore."
14 For the Lord has | chosen Zion;*
he has desired her for his |
habitation:
15 "This shall
be my resting- | place forever;*
here will I dwell, for I de- |
light in her.
16 I will surely
bless | her provisions,*
and satisfy her | poor with
bread.
17 I will clothe her
priests | with salvation,*
and her faithful people will re-
| joice and sing.
18 There will I make
the horn of | David flourish;*
I have prepared a lamp for | my
anointed.
19 As for his
enemies, I will clothe | them with shame;*
but as for him, his | crown will
shine."
Lord
God, our King, you have chosen the new Zion as your dwelling-place, the Church
as your place of rest; you have kindled in it a lamp that will burn brightly
forever before Christ, your anointed one. Make our hearts your tabernacle,
clothe your people with holiness, and give bread to the poor, that we may
rejoice and sing to you now and forever.
Amen
Hymn Praise the Lord, O Heavens
LBW 540
praise him, angels,
in the height;
sun and moon, rejoice
before him;
praise him, gleaming
stars and light.
Praise the Lord, for
he has spoken;
worlds his mighty
voice obeyed;
laws which never
shall be broken
for their guidance he
has made.
2 Praise the Lord, for
he is gracious;
never shall his
promise fail.
God has made his
saints victorious;
sin and death shall
not prevail.
Praise the God of our
salvation;
hosts on high, his
pow'r proclaim;
heav'n and earth, and
all creation,
laud and magnify his
name!
Text: Foundling Hospital Collection,
London, 1796
READING Romans 11:1-2a,
29-32
[Paul writes:] 1I
ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite,
a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2aGod
has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30Just
as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of
their disobedience, 31so they have now been disobedient in order
that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32For
God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to
God.
Response
In
many and various ways
God
spoke to his people of old by the prophets.
But
now in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
The
GOSPEL CANTICLE is sung.
My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his
lowly servant.
From this day all generations will
call me blessed.
The Almighty has done
great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those
who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his
arm;
he has scattered the proud in their
conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from
their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good
things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his
servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of
mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and
will be forever. Amen
The
LITANY is sung.
In
peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for
the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
all who offer today their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
Dan, our bishop; for your unworthy servant; for all pastors in Christ, for all
servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
our public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may
be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and
every place, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those
who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the
Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for
peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For
our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, let us give thanks to
the Lord.
Alleluia.
Help,
save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Silence
for meditation.
Rejoicing
in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and
our whole life to Christ, our Lord.
To
you, O Lord.
God of the nations,
to your table all are invited, and in your family
no one is a stranger.
Satisfy the hunger of those gathered for
prayer,
and mercifully extend to all the peoples on
earth
the joy of salvation and faith.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen
O
God, it is your will to hold both heaven and earth in a single peace. Let the
design of your great love shine on the waste of our wraths and sorrows, and
give peace to your Church, peace among nations, peace in our homes, and peace
in our hearts; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
O
God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son. Look
with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred
which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in
bonds of love, and through our struggle and confusion, work to accomplish your
purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you
in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
We
pray to you, almighty God, in this time of pandemic. You are our refuge and our
strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Do not let us fail in the
face of these events. Uphold us with your love, and give us the strength we
need. Help us in our confusion, and guide our actions. Heal the sick, console
the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver all
who are in peril; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
O
God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works:
Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our
hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended
from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the
merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, God forever. Amen
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,
forever and ever. Amen
Let
us bless the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Hymn All Praise to Thee, My God, This
Night
LBW 278
1 All
praise to thee, my God, this night
for
all the blessings of the light.
Keep
me, oh, keep me, King of kings,
beneath
thine own almighty wings.
2 Forgive
me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
the
ill that I this day have done;
that
with the world, myself, and thee,
I,
ere I sleep, at peace may be.
3 Teach
me to live, that I may dread
the
grave as little as my bed.
Teach
me to die, that so I may
rise
glorious at the awesome day.
4 Oh,
may my soul in thee repose,
and
may sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
sleep
that shall me more vig’rous make
to
serve my God when I awake!
5 Praise
God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise
him, all creatures here below;
praise
him above, ye heav’nly host;
praise
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637-1711
Sermon
Prayer
and Benediction
Lord
God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the
ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go
out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is
leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
The
almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless
and preserve you. Amen
