EVENING PRAYER for Wednesday after 14 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
1 He who dwells in
the shelter of | the Most High,*
abides under the shadow of | the
Almighty.
2 He shall say to
the Lord, "You are my refuge
| and my stronghold,*
my God in whom I | put my
trust."
3 He shall deliver
you from the snare | of the hunter*
and from the | deadly
pestilence.
4 He shall cover you
with his pinions, and you shall find refuge un- | der his wings;*
his faithfulness shall be a |
shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be
afraid of any ter- | ror by night,*
nor of the arrow that | flies by
day;
6 of the plague that
stalks | in the darkness,*
nor of the sickness that lays |
waste at midday.
7 A thousand shall
fall at your side and ten thousand at | your right hand,*
but it shall | not come near
you.
8 Your eyes have
only | to behold*
to see the reward | of the
wicked.
9 Because you have
made the | Lord your refuge,*
and the Most High your |
habitation,
10 there shall no
evil hap- | pen to you,*
neither shall any plague come |
near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give
his angels charge | over you,*
to keep you in | all your ways.
12 They shall bear
you | in their hands,*
lest you dash your foot a- |
gainst a stone.
13 You shall tread
upon the li- | on and the adder;*
you shall trample the young lion
and the serpent un- | der your feet.
14 Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I de- | liver him;*
I will protect him, because he |
knows my name.
15 He shall call upon
me, and I will | answer him;*
I am with him in trouble; I will
rescue him and bring | him to honor.
16 With long life
will I sat- | isfy him,*
and show him | my salvation.
Lord
Jesus Christ, when tempted by the devil, you remained true to your Father, who
commanded his angels to watch over you. Guard your Church from the plague of
sin, so that we may remain faithful to you until the day when we enjoy the
fullness of your salvation; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, now and forever.
Amen
Hymn Rise, My Soul, To Watch and
Pray
LBW 443
1 Rise,
my soul, to watch and pray;
from
your sleep awaken;
be
not by the evil day
unawares
o’ertaken.
Satan’s
prey oft are they
who
secure are sleeping
and
no watch are keeping.
2 Watch
against the world that frowns
darkly
to dismay you;
watch
when it your wishes crowns,
smiling
to betray you.
Watch
and see, you are free
from
false friends who charm you
while
they seek to harm you.
3 Watch against yourself, my soul,
lest
with grace you trifle;
let
not self your thoughts control
nor
God’s mercy stifle.
Pride
and sin lurk within,
all
your hopes to shatter;
heed
not when they flatter.
4 But
while watching, also pray
to
the Lord unceasing.
God
alone can make you free,
strength
and faith increasing,
so
that still mind and will
heartfelt
praises tender
and
true service render.
Text: Johann B. Freystein, 1671-1718; tr. Catherine Winkworth,
1829-1878, adapt.
8Owe no one
anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, “You shall not commit
adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and
any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as
yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is
the fulfilling of the law.
11Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment
for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we
became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us
then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13let
us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in
debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14Instead,
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify
its desires.
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.
Father, look
upon the Church you gather in Christ,
and confirm her in unity and truth.
Encourage the fervent, enlighten
the doubtful,
and bring back the wayward.
Bind us together in mutual
love,
that our prayer in Christ’s name
may be pleasing to you;
through the same Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit;
one God, now and forever.
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 Christ, You Are the Light and Day
LBW 273
1 O
Christ, you are the light and day;
you
drive the gloom of night away;
grant,
Light of light, your word to show
the
light of heav’n to us below.
2 Arise,
O God, our shield, repel
the
darts and subtleties of hell;
let
your right hand, outstretched above,
guard
those who serve the Lord they love.
3 All-holy
Lord, in humble prayer
we
ask tonight your watchful care
and
pray that our repose may be
a
quiet night, from perils free.
4 To
God the Father and the Son
and
Holy Spirit, Three in One,
be
glory in the highest giv’n
by
all on earth and all in heav’n!
Text: Latin hymn, 6th cent., sts. 1-3; Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, st.
4; tr. William J. Copeland, 1804-1885, sts. 1-3, 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
