EVENING PRAYER for Wednesday after 10 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
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 125
1 Those who trust in
the Lord are | like Mount Zion,*
which cannot be moved, but
stands | fast forever.
2 The hills stand a-
| bout Jerusalem;*
so does the Lord stand round about his people,
from this time forth for- |
evermore.
3 The scepter of the
wicked shall not hold sway over the land allotted | to the just,*
so that the just shall not put
their | hands to evil.
4 Show your
goodness, O Lord, to those | who
are good*
and to those who are | true of
heart.
the
Lord will lead them away with the
| evildoers;*
but peace be | upon Israel.
Lord,
surround your people with your presence. Do not let us stretch out our hands to
evil deeds, nor be destroyed by the snares of the enemy, but bring us to share
the land prepared for the saints in light, where you live and reign, God, now
and forever. (403)
Hymn Once He Came in Blessing
LBW 312
1 Once
he came in blessing,
all
our ills redressing;
came
in likeness lowly,
Son
of God most holy;
bore
the cross to save us;
hope
and freedom gave us.
2 Still
he comes within us;
still
his voice would win us
from
the sins that hurt us;
would
to truth convert us
from
our foolish error
ere
he comes in terror.
3 Thus,
if you have known him,
not
ashamed to own him,
nor
have spurned him coldly,
but
will trust him boldly,
he
will then receive you,
heal
you, and forgive you.
4 Those
who then are loyal
find
a welcome royal.
Come,
then, O Lord Jesus,
from
our sins release us;
let
us here confess you,
till
in heav’n we bless you.
Text: Johann Horn, c. 1490-1547; tr. Catherine Winkworth,
1829-1878, alt.
READING Romans
10:5-15
5Moses writes
concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does
these things will live by them.” 6But the righteousness that comes
from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or
‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to
bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with
the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is
saved. 11The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put
to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the
same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For,
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
14But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to
proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the
feet of those who bring good news!”
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 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 all power,
your sovereign word comes to us in Christ.
When your Church is in danger, make firm our trust;
when your people falter, steady our faith.
Show us in Jesus your power to save,
that we may always acclaim him as Lord,
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 O Gladsome Light
LBW 279
1 Oh,
gladsome light of the Father immortal
and
of the celestial,
sacred,
and blessed Jesus, our Savior!
2 Now
to the sunset again you have brought us,
and,
seeing the evening
twilight,
we bless you, praise you, adore you!
3 Father
omnipotent! Son, our life-giver!
Spirit,
our comforter!
Worthy
at all times of worship and wonder.
Text: Greek hymn, 3rd cent.; tr. Henry W. Longfellow, 1807-1882,
alt.
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
