EVENING PRAYER
for Wednesday after 11 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 142
1 I cry to
the Lord | with my voice;*
to the Lord
I make loud | supplication.
2 I pour out
my com- | plaint before him*
and tell him | all my trouble.
3 When my
spirit languishes within me, you | know my path;*
in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a | trap
for me.
4 I look to
my right hand and find no | one who knows me;*
I have no place to flee to, and no one | cares for
me.
5 I cry out
to | you, O Lord;*
I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the
land of the living."
6 Listen to
my cry for help, for I have been brought | very low;*
save me from those who pursue me, for they are too |
strong for me.
7 Bring me
out of prison, that I may give thanks | to your name;*
when you have dealt bountifully with me, the righteous will gath- | er around me.
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
1 Blest be
the tie that binds
our
hearts in Christian love;
the
unity of heart and mind
is like
to that above.
2 Before
our Father’s throne
we pour
our ardent prayers;
our
fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our
comforts and our cares.
3 We share
our mutual woes,
our
mutual burdens bear,
and
often for each other flows
the
sympathizing tear.
4 From
sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin
we shall be free;
and
perfect love and friendship reign
through
all eternity.
Text: John Fawcett, 1740-1817,
alt.
Reading Ephesians 4:25—5:2
25So then,
putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we
are members of one another. 26Be angry but do not sin; do not let
the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not make room for the devil.
28Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work
honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.
29Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful
for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those
who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you
were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31Put away from
you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with
all malice, 32and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5:1Therefore be
imitators of God, as beloved children, 2and live in love, as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to 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
