Evening Prayer in the Week of 4 Epiphany

EVENING PRAYER

for Wednesday in 4 Epiphany

February 3, 2021, 7 p.m.

Vespers

(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)

 

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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 132

 

Come, you peoples of the earth:

  drink from the wells of the Savior.

 

¹ Lord, re- | member David,*

                and all the hardships | he endured;

² how he swore an oath | to the Lord*

                and vowed a vow to the Mighty | One of Jacob:

³ "I will not come under the roof | of my house,*

                nor climb up in- | to my bed;

⁴ I will not allow my | eyes to sleep,*

                nor let my | eyelids slumber;

⁵ until I find a place | for the Lord,*

                a dwelling for the Mighty | One of Jacob."

⁶ "The ark! We heard it | was in Ephratah;*

                we found it in the | fields of Jearim.

⁷ Let us go to God's | dwelling-place;*

                let us fall upon our knees be- | fore his footstool."

⁸ Arise, O Lord, into your | resting-place,*

                you and the ark | of your strength.

⁹ Let your priests be | clothed with righteousness;*

                let your faithful people | sing with joy.

¹⁰ For your servant | David's sake,*

                do not turn away the face of | your anointed.

¹¹ The Lord has sworn an | oath to David;*

                in truth, he | will not break it:

¹² "A son, the fruit | of your body*

                will I set up- | on your throne.

¹³ If your children keep my covenant

and my testimonies that | I shall teach them,*

                their children will sit upon your throne for- | evermore."

¹⁴ For the Lord has | chosen Zion;*

                he has desired her for his | habitation:

¹⁵ "This shall be my resting- | place forever;*

                here will I dwell, for I de- | light in her.

¹⁶ I will surely bless | her provisions,*

                and satisfy her | poor with bread.

¹⁷ I will clothe her priests | with salvation,*

                and her faithful people will re- | joice and sing.

¹⁸ There will I make the horn of | David flourish;*

                I have prepared a lamp for | my anointed.

¹⁹ As for his enemies, I will clothe | them with shame;*

                but as for him, his | crown will shine."

 

Come, you peoples of the earth:

  drink from the wells of the Savior.

 

Lord God, our King, you have chosen the new Zion as your dwelling-place, the Church as your place of rest; you have kindled in it a lamp that will burn brightly forever before Christ, your anointed one. Make our hearts your tabernacle, clothe your people with holiness, and give bread to the poor, that we may rejoice and sing to you now and forever.  (410)

 

Hymn              Amazing Grace                                                   LBW 448

 

1              Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

                that saved a wretch like me!

                I once was lost, but now am found;

                was blind, but now I see.

 

2              ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

                and grace my fears relieved;

                how precious did that grace appear

                the hour I first believed!

 

3              Through many dangers, toils, and snares

                I have already come;

                ’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

                and grace will lead me home.

 

4             The Lord has promised good to me;

                his word my hope secures;

                he will my shield and portion be

                as long as life endures.

 

Text: John Newton, 1725-1807

 

 

READING                                                          Ephesians 2:1-10

¹You were dead through the trespasses and sins ²in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — ⁹not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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:

Our Lord and Savior, begotten before all ages,

  revealed himself to the world. 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:

Our Lord and Savior, begotten before all ages,

  revealed himself to the world. Alleluia.

 

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.

 

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              Abide With Me                                                   LBW 272

 

1              Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.

                The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.

                When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

                help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

 

2              I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour;

                what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?

                Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?

                Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.

 

3              Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

                earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

                change and decay in all around I see;

                O thou who changest not, abide with me.

 

4             I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;

                ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

                Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

                I triumph still, if thou abide with me!

 

5              Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,

                shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;

                heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

                in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

 

Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847

 

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