EVENING
PRAYER
for Wednesday
after 8 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 138
1 I will give thanks
to you, O Lord, with | my whole
heart;*
before the gods I will | sing
your praise.
2 I will bow down
toward your holy temple and | praise your name,*
because of your | love and
faithfulness;
3 for you have
glori- | fied your name*
and your word a- | bove all
things.
4 When I called, you
| answered me;*
you increased my | strength within
me.
5 All the kings of
the earth will praise | you, O Lord,*
when they have heard the words |
of your mouth.
6 They will sing of
the ways | of the Lord,*
that great is the glory | of the
Lord.
7 Though the Lord be high, he cares | for the lowly;*
he perceives the haughty | from
afar.
8 Though I walk in
the midst of trouble, you | keep me safe;*
you stretch forth your hand
against the fury of my enemies;
your right | hand shall save me.
9 The Lord will make good his pur- | pose for
me;*
O Lord, your love endures forever;
do not abandon the works | of your hands.
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
Hymn I Love Your Kingdom, Lord LBW 368
1 I
love your kingdom, Lord,
the
place of your abode;
the
church our blest Redeemer saved
with
his own precious blood.
2 I
love your church, O God!
Its
walls before you stand,
dear
as the apple of your eye
and
graven on your hand.
3 Beyond
my highest joy
I
prize its heav’nly ways,
its
sweet communion, solemn vows,
its
hymns of love and praise.
4 Sure
as your truth shall last,
to
Zion shall be giv’n
the
brightest glories earth can yield,
and
brighter bliss of heav’n.
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817, alt.
Reading Ephesians
2:11-22
11Remember that at one time you
Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are
called "the circumcision" — a physical circumcision made in the flesh
by human hands — 12remember that you were at that time without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made
both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the
hostility between us. 15He has abolished the law with its
commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity
in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups
to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility
through it. 17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far
off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us
have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19So then you are no longer
strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of
the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him
the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the
Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a
dwelling place for God.
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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
L Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and
immortal,
C have mercy and hear us.
C 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
C I believe in God, the Father
almighty,
creator of
heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit
and
born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
was
crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended
into hell.
On the third day
he rose again.
He ascended into
heaven,
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come
again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy
catholic Church,
the communion of
saints,
the forgiveness
of sins,
the resurrection
of the body,
and
the life everlasting. Amen
L Show us your mercy, O Lord,
C and grant us your salvation.
L Clothe your ministers with
righteousness.
C Let your people sing with joy.
L Give peace, O Lord, in all the
world;
C for only in you can we live in safety.
L Lord, keep this nation under your
care,
C and guide us in the way of
justice and truth.
L Let your way be known upon earth;
C your saving health among all
nations.
L Let not the needy, O Lord, be
forgotten,
C nor the hope of the poor be
taken away.
L Create in us clean hearts, O God,
C and sustain us with your Holy
Spirit.
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L Let us pray. . . .
C Amen
6. The final prayer is that
appropriate to the time of day:
EVENING
L We give thanks to you, heavenly
Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so
graciously protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong
which we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers
of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is
ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power
over us.
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
L The Lord bless us, defend us from
all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
C Amen
