The livestream may be found here.
EVENING PRAYER
for Wednesday in 1 Lent
Vespers
Commemoration of George Herbert, Priest, 1633
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
George Herbert, a model of the saintly parish priest, in his short life made a lasting contribution to the Christian church and to English literature... He served as a member of Parliament for Montgomery from 1624-25, but the death of his patron, James I, together with the influence of his friend Nicholas Ferrar, whose religious community called Little Gidding he frequently visited, led him to decide upon the study of divinity... In April 1630, he was ordained and served a tiny rural parish for three years... His English poems were published shortly after his death in a collection called The Temple. He also wrote A Priest in the Temple; or the Country Parson, a simple and moving description of the parish pastor as well-read, temperate, given to prayer, devoted to his people: 'Now love is his business and aim.'
- Philip Pfatteicher, New Festivals and Commemorations
Behold, now is the acceptable time;
now is the day of salvation.
Turn us again, O God of our salvation,
that the light of your face may shine upon us.
May your justice shine like the sun,
and may the poor be lifted up.
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
Domine clamavi
L Let my prayer rise before you as
incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice.
C1 O Lord, I call to you; come to me
quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
2 Let my prayer rise before you as
incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sac - rifice.
3 Set a watch before my mouth, O
Lord;
and guard the door of my lips.
4 Let not my heart incline to any e -
vil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness
with e - vildoers.
L But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my
life.
6 Glory to the Father, and to the
Son,
and to the Ho - ly Spirit;
7 as it was in the begin - ning, is
now,
and will be fore - ver. Amen
L Let my prayer rise before you as
incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice.
Text:
Psalm 141; Standard Book of Common Prayer, 1977
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 1
1 Happy are they who have not walked
in the counsel | of the wicked,*
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the
seats | of the scornful!
2 Their
delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
and they meditate on his law | day and night.
3 They are
like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due
season, with leaves that | do not wither;*
everything they | do shall prosper.
4 It is not
so | with the wicked;*
they are like chaff which the wind | blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright
when | judgment comes,*
nor the sinner in the council | of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way | of the righteous,*
but the way of the wick- | ed is doomed.
Lord God, in your loving wisdom you have set us beside the fountain of life, like a tree planted by running streams. Grant that the cross of your Son may become our tree of life in the paradise of your saints, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hymn Come My Way, My Truth, My Light LBW 513
1 Come, my way, my
truth, my life:
such a way as
gives us breath;
such a truth as
ends all strife;
such a life as
conquers death.
2 Come, my light,
my feast, my strength:
such a light as
shows a feast;
such a feast as
mends in length;
such a strength
as makes his guest.
3 Come, my joy, my
love, my heart:
such a joy as
none can move;
such a love as
none can part;
such a heart as
joys in love.
Text: George Herbert,
1593-1632
READINGS
1 Peter 5:1-4
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
From A Priest to the Temple by George Herbert
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.
My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord LBW Canticle 6
Antiphon:
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,*
for he has looked with fa - vor
on his low - ly servant.
From this day all gen - erations
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 gen - eration.*
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 a - way empty.
He has come to the help of his ser - vant Israel,
for he has remembered his pro - mise of mercy,*
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his child - ren forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Ho - ly Spirit;*
as it was in the begin - ning, is now,
and will be forev - er. Amen
Antiphon:
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Prayers
For the commemoration of George Herbert
For renewal in the life of baptism
For dedication to the life of God
For our own needs and the needs of others
For peace
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.
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen
