EVENING PRAYER
for Wednesday after 9 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 psalmody begins with this prayer for forgiveness and protection:
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. Ps. 141:1-7
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 139
1 Lord, you have searched me | out and
known me;*
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts | from afar.
2 You trace
my journeys and my | resting-places*
and are acquainted with | all my ways.
3 Indeed,
there is not a word | on my lips,*
but you, O Lord,
know it | altogether.
4 You press
upon me behind | and before*
and lay your | hand upon me.
5 Such
knowledge is too wonder- | ful for me;*
it is so high that I cannot at- | tain to it.
6 Where can I
go then | from your Spirit?*
Where can I flee | from your presence?
7 If I climb
up to heaven, | you are there;*
if I make the grave my bed, you | are there also.
8 If I take
the wings | of the morning*
and dwell in the uttermost parts | of the sea,
9 even there
your | hand will lead me*
and your right hand | hold me fast.
10 If I say,
"Surely the darkness will | cover me,*
and the light around me | turn to night,"
11 darkness
is not dark to you; the night is as bright | as the day;*
darkness and light to you are | both alike.
12 For you
yourself created my | inmost parts;*
you knit me together in my | mother's womb.
13 I will
thank you because I am mar- | velously made;*
your works are wonderful, and I | know it well.
14 My body
was not hid- | den from you,*
while I was being made in secret and woven in the
depths | of the earth.
15 Your eyes
beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;
all of them were written
| in your book;*
they were fashioned day by day, when as yet there was
| none of them.
16 How deep I
find your | thoughts, O God!*
How great is the | sum of them!
17 If I were
to count them, they would be more in number | than the sand;*
to count them all, my life span would need to | be
like yours.
18 Oh, that
you would slay the wick- | ed, O God!*
You that thirst for blood, de- | part from me.
19 They speak
despiteful- | ly against you;*
your enemies take your | name in vain.
20 Do I not
hate those, O | Lord, who hate
you?*
And do I not loathe those who rise | up against you?
21 I hate
them with a | perfect hatred;*
they have become | my own enemies.
22 Search me
out, O God, and | know my heart;*
try me and know my | restless thoughts.
23 Look well
whether there be any wicked- | ness in me*
and lead me in the way that is | everlasting.
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
Hymn Awake, O Sleeper WOV 745
(text may not be reproduced here)
Reading Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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.
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
L Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,
C have mercy and hear us.
C 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
C 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 into hell.
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
L Show us your mercy, O Lord,
C and grant us your salvation.
L Clothe your ministers with righteousness.
C Let your people sing with joy.
L Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
C for only in you can we live in safety.
L Lord, keep this nation under your care,
C and guide us in the way of justice and truth.
L Let your way be known upon earth;
C your saving health among all nations.
L Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten,
C nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
L Create in us clean hearts, O God,
C and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L Let us pray. . . .
C Amen
6. The final prayer is that appropriate to the time of day:
EVENING
L We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
L The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
C Amen
