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EVENING PRAYER
for Wednesday
after 2 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 psalmody begins with this prayer for
forgiveness and protection:
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. Ps. 141:1-7
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
You
have put gladness in my heart.
You have put gladness in my heart.
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.
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.
You have put gladness in my heart.
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 All Depends On Our Possessing LBW 447
1 All
depends on our possessing
God’s
free grace and constant blessing,
though
all earthly wealth depart.
They
who trust with faith unshaken
by
their God are not forsaken
and
will keep a dauntless heart.
2 God,
who hitherto has fed me
and
to many joys has led me,
is
and ever shall be mine.
He
who did so gently school me,
he
who daily guides and rules me,
will
remain my help divine.
3 When
with sorrow I am stricken,
hope
my heart anew will quicken,
all
my longing shall be stilled.
To
his lovingkindness tender
soul
and body I surrender,
for
on God alone I build.
4 Well
he knows what best to grant me;
all
the longing hopes that haunt me,
joy
and sorrow, have their day.
I
shall doubt his wisdom never;
as
God wills, so be it ever;
to
him I commit my way.
5 If
on earth my days he lengthen,
God
my weary soul will strengthen;
all
my trust in him I place.
Earthly
wealth is not abiding;
like
a stream away it’s gliding;
safe
I anchor in his grace.
Text: Gesang-Buch, Nürnberg, 1676;
tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878, alt.
READING 2 Corinthians 4:5-12
For
what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord,
with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God,
who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure
in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and
not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed; always
carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may
also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus'
sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in
you.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Homily
Silence for reflection.
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.
The prayers are said with the
congregation saying ‘Amen’ to each.
The final prayer is said:
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 Lord’s Prayer is said.
Then is said:
Let us
bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The
almighty and merciful Lord,
the
Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us.
Amen
