The livestream may be found here.
EVENING PRAYER Vespers
for the eve of the commemoration of N.F.S. Grundtvig,
Bishop, Renewer of the Church (1872)
(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 46
a very present | help in trouble.
2 Therefore
we will not fear, though the | earth be moved,*
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths |
of the sea;
3 though its
waters | rage and foam,*
and though the mountains tremble | at its tumult.
4 The Lord of | hosts is with us;*
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
5 There is a
river whose streams make glad the cit- | y of God,*
the holy habitation of | the Most High.
6 God is in
the midst of her; she shall not be | overthrown;*
God shall help her at the | break of day.
7 The nations
make much ado, and the king- | doms are shaken;*
God has spoken, and the earth shall | melt away.
8 The Lord of | hosts is with us;*
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
9 Come now
and look upon the works | of the Lord,*
what awesome things he has | done on earth.
10 It is he
who makes war to cease in | all the world;*
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns
the | shields with fire.
11 "Be
still, then, and know that | I am God;*
I will be exalted among the nations; I will be
exalted | in the earth."
12 The Lord of | hosts is with us;*
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
Hymn
O Day Full of Grace (N.F.S. Grundtvig, Tr. Carl Døving )
1. O day, full of grace, which we behold,
Now gently to view ascending; Thou over the earth thy reign unfold, Good cheer to all mortals lending, That children of light in every clime May prove that the night is ending.
2. How blest was that gracious midnight hour, When God in our flesh was given; Then flushed the dawn with light and power, That spread o'er the darkened heaven; Then rose o'er the world that Sun divine Which gloom from our hearts hath driven.
3. Yea, were every tree endowed with speech, And every leaflet singing, They never with praise His worth could reach, Though earth with their praise were ringing. Who fully could praise the Light of life, Who light to our souls is bringing?
4. As birds in the morning sing God's praise, His fatherly love we cherish, For giving to us this day of grace, For life that shall never perish. His Church He hath kept these thousand years And hungering souls did nourish.
5. Now softly the light of Pentecost Is shining its beams around us, God’s blessings for us cannot be lost, As brooks in the fields surround us. And leave in their wake the woods and fields, The bright summer green astounds us.
6. With joy we depart for our fatherland, Where God our Father is dwelling, Where ready for us His mansions stand, Where heaven with praise is swelling; And there we shall walk in endless light, With blest ones His praise forth telling.
READING 1 Corinthians 3:11-23
11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — 13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
"He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
20and again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are futile."
21So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence for reflection.
A reading from a sermon by N.F.S. Grundtvig
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
