Order of Worship, Evening Prayer, September 30, 2020

The livestream may be found here. 

EVENING PRAYER for Wednesday after 17 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

 

 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 4

 

¹ Answer me when I call, O God, defender | of my cause;*

                you set me free when I am hard-pressed;

have mercy on me and | hear my prayer.

² "You mortals, how long will you dishon- | or my glory;*

                how long will you worship dumb idols

and run af- | ter false gods?"

³ Know that the Lord does wonders | for the faithful;*

                when I call upon the Lord, | he will hear me.

⁴ Tremble, then, and | do not sin;*

                speak to your heart in silence up- | on your bed.

⁵ Offer the appointed | sacrifices,*

                and put your trust | in the Lord.

⁶ Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see | better times!"*

                Lift up the light of your countenance upon | us, O Lord.

⁷ You have put gladness | in my heart,*

                more than when grain and wine and | oil increase.

⁸ I lie down in peace; at once I | fall asleep;*

                for only you, Lord, make me | dwell in safety.

 

Lord, you consoled your Son in his anguish and released him from the darkness of the grave. Turn your face toward us, that we may sleep in your peace and rise in your light; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

 

Hymn                                              Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs

LBW 254

1              Come, let us join our cheerful songs

                with angels round the throne;

                ten thousand thousand are their tongues,

                but all their joys are one.

 

2             “Worthy the Lamb that died,” they cry,

                “to be exalted thus!”

                “Worthy the Lamb,” our lips reply,

                “for he was slain for us!”

 

3              Jesus is worthy to receive

                honor and pow’r divine;

                and blessings, more than we can give,

                be, Lord, forever thine.

 

4             Let all creation join in one

                to bless the sacred name

                of him who sits upon the throne,

                and to adore the Lamb.

 

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

 

READING                                                                Philippians 2:1-13

 

¹If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, ²make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

 ⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
 ⁶who, though he was in the form of God,
  did not regard equality with God
  as something to be exploited,
 ⁷but emptied himself,
  taking the form of a slave,
  being born in human likeness.
 And being found in human form,
  ⁸he humbled himself
  and became obedient to the point of death—
  even death on a cross.
 ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him
  and gave him the name
  that is above every name,
 ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus
  every knee should bend,
  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 ¹¹and every tongue should confess
  that Jesus Christ is Lord,
  to the glory of God the Father.
 

¹²Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 

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 GREAT LITANY is sung.

 

L             Lord, have mercy.          R            Lord, have mercy.

L             Christ, have mercy.      R            Christ, have mercy.

L             Lord, have mercy.          R            Lord, have mercy.

 

L             O Christ, hear us.          R            In mercy hear us.

 

L             God, the Father in heaven,       R            have mercy on us.

L             God, the Son, redeemer of the world,

R            have mercy on us.

L             God, the Holy Spirit,                   R            have mercy on us.

L             Holy Trinity, one God,               R            have mercy on us.

 

L             Be gracious to us.           R            Spare us, good Lord.

L             Be gracious to us.           R            Spare us, good Lord.

 

L             From all sin, from all error, from all evil;

                from the cunning assaults of the devil;

                from an unprepared and evil death:

R            Good Lord, deliver us.

L             From war, bloodshed, and violence;

                from corrupt and unjust government;

                from sedition and treason:

R            Good Lord, deliver us.

L             From epidemic, drought, and famine;

                from fire and flood, earthquake, lightning and storm;

                and from everlasting death:

R            Good Lord, deliver us.

 

L             By the mystery of your incarnation;

                by your holy birth:

R            Help us, good Lord.

L             By your baptism, fasting, and temptation;

                by your agony and bloody sweat;

                by your cross and suffering;

                by your death and burial:

R            Help us, good Lord.

L             By your resurrection and ascension;

                by the gift of the Holy Spirit:

R            Help us, good Lord.

 

L             In all time of our tribulation;

                in all time of our prosperity;

                in the hour of death;

                and in the day of judgment:

R            Save us, good Lord.

L             Though unworthy, we implore you

R            to hear us, Lord our God.

 

L             To rule and govern your holy catholic Church;

                to guide all servants of your Church

in the love of your Word

                                and in holiness of life;

                to put an end to all schisms

and causes of offense to those who would believe;

                and to bring into the way of truth all who have gone astray:

R            We implore you to hear us, good Lord.

L             To beat down Satan under our feet;

                to send faithful workers into your harvest;

                to accompany your Word with your Spirit and power;

                to raise up those who fall

and to strengthen those who stand;

                and to comfort and help the fainthearted

and the distressed:

R            We implore you to hear us, good Lord.

L             To give to all nations justice and peace;

                to preserve our country from discord and strife;

                to direct and guard those who have civil authority;

                and to bless and guide all our people:

R            We implore you to hear us, good Lord.

  

L             To behold and help all

who are in danger, need, or tribulation;

                to protect and guide all who travel;

                to preserve and provide for all women in childbirth;

                to watch over children and to guide the young;

                to heal the sick and to strengthen their families and friends;

                to bring reconciliation to families in discord;

                to provide for the unemployed and for all in need;

                to be merciful to all who are imprisoned;

                to support, comfort, and guide

all orphans, widowers, and widows;

                and to have mercy on all your people:

R            We implore you to hear us, good Lord.

L             To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers,

and to reconcile us to them;

                to help us use wisely the fruits and treasures

of the earth, the sea, and the air;

                and graciously to hear our prayers:

R            We implore you to hear us, good Lord.

L             Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

R            we implore you to hear us.

 

L             Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;       R            have mercy on us.

L             Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;       R            have mercy on us.

L             Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;       R            give us peace. Amen

 

L             O Christ, hear us.          R            In mercy hear us.

 

L             Lord, have mercy.          R            Lord, have mercy.

L             Christ, have mercy.      R            Christ, have mercy.

L             Lord, have mercy.          R            Lord, have mercy.

 

 

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                                             All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night

                                                    LBW 278

 

1              All praise to thee, my God, this night

                for all the blessings of the light.

                Keep me, oh, keep me, King of kings,

                beneath thine own almighty wings.

 

2             Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,

                the ill that I this day have done;

                that with the world, myself, and thee,

                I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

 

3              Teach me to live, that I may dread

                the grave as little as my bed.

                Teach me to die, that so I may

                rise glorious at the awesome day.

 

4             Oh, may my soul in thee repose,

                and may sweet sleep mine eyelids close,

                sleep that shall me more vig’rous make

                to serve my God when I awake!

 

5             Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

                praise him, all creatures here below;

                praise him above, ye heav’nly host;

                praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 

Text: Thomas Ken, 1637-1711

 

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