Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Order of Worship: Evening Prayer for the Epiphany, January 6, 2021, 7 pm

The livestream may be found here.

EVENING PRAYER

for the Epiphany of our Lord

Vespers

(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)

 

The people who walked in darkness

  have seen a great light.

The light shines in the darkness,

  and the darkness has not overcome it.

Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness,

  on them light has shined.

We have beheld Christ’s glory,

  glory as of the only Son from the Father.

For to us a child is born,

  to us a Son is given.

In him was life,

  and the life was the light of all people.

 

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.

 

  We praise and thank you, O God, for you are without beginning and without end. Through Christ you are the creator and preserver of the whole world; but, above all, you are his God and Father, the giver of the Spirit, and the ruler of all that is, seen and unseen. You made the day for the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness. O loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening sacrifice of praise. As you have conducted us through the day and brought us to night’s beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, and at the end, bring us to everlasting life through Christ our Lord. Through him we offer glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

  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 100

 

Come, you peoples of the earth:

  drink from the wells of the Savior.

 

1 Be joyful in the Lord, | all you lands;*

                serve the Lord with gladness

and come before his presence | with a song.

2 Know this: The Lord him- | self is God;*

                he himself has made us, and we are his;

                we are his people and the sheep | of his pasture.

3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his | courts with praise;*

                give thanks to him and call up- | on his name.

4 For the Lord is good; his mercy is | everlasting;*

                and his faithfulness endures from | age to age.

 

Come, you peoples of the earth:

  drink from the wells of the Savior.

 

God our Father, you have created us as your people and you sustain us with your hand. Help us always to give you thanks, for you alone are worthy of thanksgiving and praise and honor now and forever.  

  Amen

 

Hymn             

 

1. When Christ’s appearing was made known,
King Herod trembled for his throne;
But He who offers heavenly birth
Sought not the kingdom of this earth.

2. The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
By light their way to Light they trod,
And by their gifts confessed their God.

3. Within the Jordan’s sacred flood
The heavenly Lamb in meekness stood,
That He, to whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.

4. And O what miracle divine,
When water reddened into wine!
He spake the word, and forth it flowed
In streams that nature ne’er bestowed.

5. All glory, Jesus, be to Thee
For this Thy glad epiphany:
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Ghost forevermore.

READING                                                                                Matthew 12:14-21

(T)he Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
15When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, 16and he ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
 
18"Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
 my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.
 I will put my Spirit upon him,
 and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
 
19He will not wrangle or cry aloud,
 nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
 
20He will not break a bruised reed
 or quench a smoldering wick
 until he brings justice to victory.
 
21And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

The Word of the Lord.                                        Thanks be to God.

Response

In many and various ways

God spoke to this 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.

 

 

 

Antiphon:

Our Lord and Savior, begotten before all ages,

  revealed himself to the world. Alleluia.

 

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

 

Antiphon:

Our Lord and Savior, begotten before all ages,

  revealed himself to the world. Alleluia.

 

 

Almighty and everlasting God, who has made known the incarnation of thy dear Son by the testimony of a glorious star, which, when the Wise Men beheld it, they adored Thy majesty with gifts: Grant that the bright shining of Thy truth may lead us always to lay the gifts of our obedience and love at Thy feet: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

   Amen

 

O Thou who art the light of the world, the Desire of all nations, and the Shepherd of our souls, let Thy light shine in the darkness that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God; by the lifting up of Thy cross gather the peoples to Thine obedience, to whom alone belongeth the scepter and the crown; let Thy sheep hear Thy voice and be brought home to Thy fold, so that there may be one flock, one Shepherd, one holy kingdom of righteousness and peace, one God and Father of us all, above all and through all and in all.

  Amen

 

O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works; Give to us, Thy servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments; and that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may serve you in peace and quietness: through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and 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                                                                          LBW 83

 

1              From God the Father, virgin-born

                to us the only Son came down;

                by death the font to consecrate,

                the faithful to regenerate.

 

2              Beginning from his home on high,

                in human flesh he came to die;

                creation by his death restored,

                and shed new joys of life abroad.

 

3              Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring

                the gift of healing on your wing;

                to ev’ry dull and clouded sense

                the clearness of your light dispense.

 

4             Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;

                the gloom of darkness chase away;

                your work of healing, Lord, begin,

                and take away the stain of sin.

 

5              Lord, once you came to earth’s domain

                and, we believe, shall come again;

                be with us on the battlefield,

                from ev’ry harm your people shield.

 

6              To you, O Lord, all glory be

                for this your blest epiphany;

                to God whom all his hosts adore,

                and Holy Spirit evermore.

 

Text: Latin office hymn, c. 11th cent.; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-1866

 

Sermon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer and Benediction

Accept, O Lord, our praises and supplications, and look graciously on our households and our faith family, that we may abide this night in peace and safety under the shadow of your wings, and so assist us by your grace that we may be made fit for that kingdom where there shall be no more sin, nor sorrow, nor pain, but all shall be joy and peace in the Holy Spirit, to whom, with you, O Father, and you, O blessed Jesus, be all glory, both now and evermore.

  Amen

 

The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.  Amen