Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Evening Prayer for Wednesday in the Seventh Week of Easter, 7 p.m.

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EVENING PRAYER

for Wednesday in 7 Easter (Texts from Vigil of Pentecost)

Vespers

(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)

 

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

We are illumined by the brightness of his rising.

  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Death has no more dominion over us.

  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

 

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, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom you have enlightened us by revealing the light that never fades.

 

Night is falling and day’s allotted span draws to a close.

 

The daylight which you created for our pleasure has fully satisfied us, and yet, of your own free gift, now the evening lights do not fail us.

 

We praise you and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; through him be glory, honor, and power 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 130

 

There is forgiveness with God.

  There is forgiveness with God.

 

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;

Lord, | hear my voice;*

                let your ears consider well the voice of my | supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is | done amiss,*

                O Lord, | who could stand?

3 For there is forgive- | ness with you;*

                therefore you | shall be feared.

4 I wait for the Lord; my soul | waits for him;*

                in his word | is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,

more than watchmen | for the morning,*

                more than watchmen | for the morning.

 6 O Israel, wait | for the Lord,*

                for with the Lord | there is mercy;

7 with him there is plen- | teous redemption,*

                and he shall redeem Israel from | all their sins.

 

There is forgiveness with God.

 

God of might and compassion, you sent your Word into the world as a watchman to announce the dawn of salvation. Do not leave us in the depths of our sins, but listen to your Church pleading for the fullness of your redeeming grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

  Amen

 

Hymn                        I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say                                     LBW 497

                                                (sung to FOREST GREEN)

 

1      I heard the voice of Jesus say,

        "Come unto me and rest;

        lay down, O weary one, lay down

        your head upon my breast."

        I came to Jesus as I was,

        so weary, worn, and sad;

        I found in him a resting-place,

        and he has made me glad.

 

2      I heard the voice of Jesus say,

        "Behold, I freely give

        the living water, thirsty one;

        stoop down and drink and live."

        I came to Jesus, and I drank

        of that life-giving stream;

        my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

        and now I live in him.

 

3      I heard the voice of Jesus say,

        "I am this dark world's light;

        look unto me, your morn shall rise,

        and all your day be bright."

        I looked to Jesus, and I found

        in him my star, my sun;

        and in that light of life I'll walk

        till trav'ling days are done.

READINGS                                                                                      Ephesians 5:15-20

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ[.]

The Word of the Lord.                                        Thanks be to God.

                                                                                                                          John 7:37-39

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The Word of the Lord.                                        Thanks be to God.

 

Silence for reflection.

 

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.

 

Antiphon:

Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people;

  Set them on fire with your love. 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:

Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people;

  Set them on fire with your love. Alleluia.

 

Litany of the Holy Spirit[1]

 

Lord, have mercy.                                          Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.                                      Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.                                          Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, hear us.                                          In mercy hear us.

God, the Father in heaven;                                       Have mercy on us.

God the Son, redeemer of the world;                  Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father and Gift of the Most High;                                                                  Have mercy on us.

 

O Spirit of wisdom and understanding;           Have mercy on us.     

O Spirit of counsel and might;                                Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord; Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of joy in God’s presence;                         Have mercy on us.

 

O Spirit of love, joy, and peace;                              Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of patience, gentleness and goodness; Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of truth, meekness, and patience;       Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of modesty, temperance, and chastity: Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of grace and supplication:                      Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of discipline and continence:                Have mercy on us.

O Spirit of adoption:                                                   Have mercy on us.

O Holy Spirit, the Comforter;                                 Have mercy on us.

O Holy Spirit, the sanctifier:                                   Have mercy on us.

 

Be gracious to us;                                                       Spare us, O Lord.

Be gracious to us;                                                           Spare us, O Lord.

 

From all sin, from all error, from all evil,

from the cunning assaults of the devil,

from an unprepared and evil death;   

                                                                                Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your eternal procession from the Father and the Son;

                                                                                Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your working at creation;                  Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your inspiration of the prophets;   Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your descent upon the Mother of God;

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your descent upon our Lord at his baptism;

                                                                                Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your descent upon the apostles at Pentecost;

                                                                                Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

By your abiding with the Church;       Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

In the Day of Judgment;                            Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

 

We sinners cry unto you, O Holy Spirit:

Shed abroad your light and love in our hearts;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

Open to us the treasures of your grace;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

Teach us to ask for your grace according to your will;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

Teach us to pray, and yourself pray within us;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

That we may not grieve you nor despise you;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

That remembering that our bodies are your temple, we may take heed not to defile them;                  We implore you to hear us.

That you would lead us into all truth; We implore you to hear us.

That you would pour your peace upon the whole Church;

                                                                                We implore you to hear us.

 

Lamb of God,                                 Pour out upon us the Holy Spirit.

Lamb of God,                        Send the promised Spirit of the Father.

Lamb of God,                                   Grant us the Spirit of Peace.

                                                                               

O Christ, hear us.                                          In mercy hear us.

Lord, have mercy.                                          Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.                                      Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.                                          Lord, have mercy.

 

Almighty and ever-living God, you fulfilled the promise of Easter by sending your Holy Spirit to unite the races and nations on earth and thus to proclaim your glory. Look upon your people gathered in prayer, open to rec3eive the Spirit’s flame. May it come to rest in our hearts and heal the divisions of word and tongue, that with one voice and one song we may praise your name in joy and thanksgiving, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

  Amen

 

Let us pray for our own needs and the needs of others.

 

Silent prayer.

 

Into your hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

  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 Trinity, O Blessed Light                                                     LBW 275

 

1                      O Trinity, O blessed Light,

O Unity of princely might:

The fiery sun is going down;

Shed light upon us through your Son.

 

2                     To you our morning song of praise,

To you our evening prayer we raise;

We praise your light in every age,

The glory of our pilgrimage.

 

3                     All glory be to God above

And to the Son, the prince of love,

And to the Spirit, One in Three!

We praise you, blessed Trinity.

 

 

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 us. 

  Amen



Herbert Lindemann, The Daily Office.