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EVENING PRAYER for Wednesday after 21 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 90
1 Lord, you
have | been our refuge*
from one generation | to another.
2 Before the
mountains were brought forth, or the land and the | earth were born,*
from age to age | you are God.
3 You turn us
back to the | dust and say,*
"Go back, O | child of earth."
4 For a
thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when | it is past*
and like a watch | in the night.
5 You sweep
us away | like a dream;*
we fade away suddenly | like the grass.
6 In the
morning it is | green and flourishes;*
in the evening it is dried | up and withered.
7 For we
consume away in | your displeasure;*
we are afraid because of your wrathful | indignation.
8 Our
iniquities you have | set before you,*
and our secret sins in the light | of your
countenance.
9 When you
are angry, all our | days are gone;*
we bring our years to an end | like a sigh.
10 The span
of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength | even eighty;*
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and | we are gone.
11 Who
regards the power | of your wrath?*
Who rightly fears your | indignation?
12 So teach
us to num- | ber our days,*
that we may apply our | hearts to wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord; how long | will you tarry?*
Be gracious | to your servants.
14 Satisfy us
by your lovingkindness | in the morning;*
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days | of our
life.
15 Make us
glad by the measure of the days that you af- | flicted us*
and the years in which we suf- | fered adversity.
16 Show your
ser- | vants your works*
and your splendor | to their children.
17 May the
graciousness of the Lord our God |
be upon us;*
prosper the work of our hands; pros- | per our
handiwork.
Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us: For his sake, prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever.
Hymn Love Consecrates the Humblest Act
Lutheran Book of Worship 122
READING Matthew 22:34-46
1Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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 Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations. Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your name; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 in your Church, peace among nations, peace in our land, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
O most loving Father, you want us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing except losing you, and to lay all our cares on you, knowing that you care for us. Protect us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds in this mortal life may hide from us the light of your immortal love shown to us in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Hear now our personal prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.
Silence is kept for prayer.
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 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.
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 To You, Before the Close of Day
LBW 277
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
