Order of Worship - Evening Prayer, December 30, 2020 - 7:30 pm

 The livestream may be found here.

EVENING PRAYER

for Wednesday in the First Week after Christmas

Vespers

(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)

 

The people who walked in darkness

  have seen a great light.

The light shines in the darkness,

  and the darkness has not overcome it.

Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness,

  on them light has shined.

We have beheld Christ’s glory,

  glory as of the only Son from the Father.

For to us a child is born,

  to us a Son is given.

In him was life,

  and the life was the light of all people.

 

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.

 

  We praise and thank you, O God, for you are without beginning and without end. Through Christ you are the creator and preserver of the whole world; but, above all, you are his God and Father, the giver of the Spirit, and the ruler of all that is, seen and unseen. You made the day for the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness. O loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening sacrifice of praise. As you have conducted us through the day and brought us to night’s beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, and at the end, bring us to everlasting life through Christ our Lord. Through him we offer glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

  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 89:1-18

 

A prince from the day of your birth

  from the womb before daybreak have I begotten you.

 

¹ Your love, O Lord, forever | will I sing;*

                from age to age my mouth will pro- | claim your faithfulness.

² For I am persuaded that your love is estab- | lished forever;*

                you have set your faithfulness firmly | in the heavens.

³ "I have made a covenant with my | chosen one;*

                I have sworn an oath to Da- | vid my servant:

⁴ 'I will establish your | line forever,*

                and preserve your throne for all | generations.'"

⁵ The heavens bear witness to your won- | ders, O Lord,*

                and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the | holy ones;

⁶ for who in the skies can be compared | to the Lord?*

                Who is like the Lord a- | mong the gods?

⁷ God is much to be feared in the council of the | holy ones,*

                great and terrible to all those | round about him.

⁸ Who is like you, Lord | God of hosts?*

                O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is | all around you.

⁹ You rule the raging | of the sea*

                and still the surging | of its waves.

¹⁰ You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a | deadly wound;*

                you have scattered your enemies with your | mighty arm.

¹¹ Yours are the heavens; the earth al- | so is yours;*

                you laid the foundations of the world and all | that is in it.

¹² You have made the north | and the south;*

                Tabor and Hermon rejoice | in your name.

¹³ You have a | mighty arm;*

                strong is your hand and high is | your right hand.

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundations | of your throne;*

                love and truth go be- | fore your face.

¹⁵ Happy are the people who know the | festal shout!*

                They walk, O Lord, in the light | of your presence.

¹⁶ They rejoice daily | in your name;*

                they are jubilant | in your righteousness.

¹⁷ For you are the glory | of their strength,*

                and by your favor our might | is exalted.

¹⁸ Truly, the Lord | is our ruler;*

                the Holy One of Israel | is our king.

 

A prince from the day of your birth

  from the womb before daybreak have I begotten you.

 

Mighty God, in fulfillment of the promise made to David's descendants you established a lasting covenant through your firstborn Son. You anointed your servant Jesus with holy oil and raised him higher than all kings on earth. Remember your covenant, so that we who are signed with the blood of your Son may sing of your mercies forever; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.    

  Amen

 

Hymn                                                                                   LBW 50

 

1      Angels, from the realms of glory,

        wing your flight o'er all the earth;

        once you sang creation's story,

        now proclaim Messiah's birth:

        Come and worship, come and worship,

        worship Christ, the newborn king.

 

2      Shepherds, in the fields abiding,

        watching o'er your flocks by night,

        God with us is now residing,

        yonder shines the infant light.

        Come and worship, come and worship,

        worship Christ, the newborn king.

 

3      Sages, leave your contemplations,

        brighter visions beam afar;

        seek the great desire of nations,

        you have seen his natal star.

        Come and worship, come and worship,

        worship Christ, the newborn king.

 

4     All creation, join in praising

        God, the Father, Spirit, Son,

        evermore your voices raising

        to the eternal Three in One.

        Come and worship, come and worship,

        worship Christ, the newborn king.

 

Text: James Montgomery, 1771-1854, alt., sts. 1-3; Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, st. 4

 

READING                                                                                       Isaiah 49:1-13

Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. ²He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. ³And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” ⁴But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” ⁵And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— ⁶he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

⁷Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” ⁸Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; ⁹saying to the prisoners, “Come out,” to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture; ¹⁰they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. ¹¹And I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be raised up. ¹²Lo, these shall come from far away, and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.

¹³Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

The Word of the Lord.                                        Thanks be to God.

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.

 

Antiphon:

Today Christ is born;

today salvation has appeared.

  Today the just exult and say,

  Glory to God in the highest. Alleluia.

 

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

 

Antiphon:

Today Christ is born;

today salvation has appeared.

  Today the just exult and say,

  Glory to God in the highest. Alleluia.

 

 

Almighty God, you have made yourself known in your Son, Jesus, redeemer of the world. We pray that his birth as a human child will set us free from the old slavery of our sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

  Amen

 

O God, to whom glory was sung in the highest while on earth peace was to men of goodwill, grant that goodwill to us, your servants, cleanse us from all our sins, and give perpetual peace to us and to all people, through your mercy, O God, who is blessed and governs all things, now and forever.

  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 that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may serve you in peace and quietness: through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and 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                                                                          LBW 60

 

1      Hark! The herald angels sing,

        "Glory to the newborn king;

        peace on earth, and mercy mild,

        God and sinners reconciled."

        Joyful, all you nations, rise;

        join the triumph of the skies;

        with angelic hosts proclaim,

        "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

 

Refrain

        Hark! The herald angels sing,

        "Glory to the newborn king!"

 

2      Christ, by highest heav'n adored,

        Christ, the everlasting Lord,

        late in time behold him come,

        offspring of a virgin's womb.

        Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!

        Hail, incarnate deity!

        Pleased as man with us to dwell,

        Jesus, our Emmanuel!  Refrain

 

3      Hail the heav'n-born Prince of peace!

        Hail the Sun of righteousness!

        Light and life to all he brings,

        ris'n with healing in his wings.

        Mild he lays his glory by,

        born that we no more may die,

        born to raise each child of earth,

        born to give us second birth.  Refrain

 

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt.

 

 

Sermon

 

Prayer and Benediction

Accept, O Lord, our praises and supplications, and look graciously on our households and our faith family, that we may abide this night in peace and safety under the shadow of your wings, and so assist us by your grace that we may be made fit for that kingdom where there shall be no more sin, nor sorrow, nor pain, but all shall be joy and peace in the Holy Spirit, to whom, with you, O Father, and you, O blessed Jesus, be all glory, both now and evermore.

Amen

 

The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.  Amen